


Let It Soak In (Like Seasoning)

by sweetpea73



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Chefs, M/M, Romance, Sex, questionable parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2019-02-10 03:48:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12903345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetpea73/pseuds/sweetpea73
Summary: The only way to Baekhyun's heart is chocolate cake.





	Let It Soak In (Like Seasoning)

**Author's Note:**

> cross posted LJ and AFF
> 
> For Top!Kyungsoo fest 2016

“Sehun, I swear to God if you come back in this kitchen to shove a crab cake down your throat, I’ll throw you in back with Jongin so he can fist it out your ass,” Kyungsoo hisses, slamming his knife into the cutting board as he catches the young server stuffing his face with a left over stuffed clam shell. 

The other groans, but his face falls short of showing a lot of emotion, “Hyung, you put me on dish duty last week.”

“And don’t think I won’t do it again,” Kyungsoo threatens, pointing his knife towards the younger one. “Go and eat when you’re on break.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t even need to look to feel Sehun’s prideful eye roll as he strolls out of the kitchen to wait on his tables. Kyungsoo returns to working, chopping the onions into fine pieces. 

“It’s past the rush and you’re laying into the wait staff. Give them a break,” the Sous chef next to him bumps into Kyungsoo’s arm as he dices tomatoes and throws them into the pot. Kyungsoo eyes Chanyeol because how dare he _side with the servers_.

Kyungsoo shrugs in the silence, sliding over the onions to get to the chicken and cut the pieces finely. There’s an order of chicken tikka masala, and Kyungsoo needs to make a fresh batch since the customers are quite picky on their choices. Chanyeol is currently beside him making the kimchi stew for tomorrow. 

“Did you make kimchi the other day?” Chanyeol calls out from the stock room freezer. 

“There’s one done fermenting in the front,” Kyungsoo says, grabbing a saucepan and stirring in the masala herbs. They’re almost at the end of closing, but they always do their best to not close the kitchen too early. Kyungsoo’s mother always told him that the best thing he could do for another is to keep a man from going hungry.

Today isn’t awfully busy. There were mellow moments where Kyungsoo could come out and talk to customers. He puts on his pleasant smile and a gentle tone that would make Chanyeol snort if he watched. Across the restaurant at the bar, Jongdae would watch and laugh as Kyungsoo made his way through all of the paying customers with a weird laugh in his mouth.

Kyungsoo finishes his masala, letting the chicken simmer in the sauce on top of a bed of basmati rice, and waits for Yixing to bring it to his customer while Chanyeol finishes the others stew. Kyungsoo washes his hands in the sink and makes his way to the outside of the kitchen. His wide eyes dart to Yixing, whose eyes look tired and his shoulders hang low in exhaustion. He watches as the exhaustion turns from the kitchen into an eye smile and curled lips. 

The customers are in lavish clothing, the woman wearing an elegant necklace and black dress where as the man across from her wore his dress clothes from the office. Usually elegant and sophisticated, since Kyungsoo is one of the youngest well rounded chefs in the world, his culinary skills high in so many different techniques. He isn’t surprised to see them, he just hates the way he has to fake himself in front of them.

Kyungsoo ventures out to the table, patting Yixing on the back and whispering for him to go take a break and eat. From across the way, Kyungsoo picks out Jongdae cleaning a wine glass with his lips curled in a smile. Kyungsoo shoots him a look before he eases into a pleasant smile towards the couple.

“How are you enjoying this evening?” Kyungsoo simmers his voice into his beautiful lower register. The woman doesn’t even pick her head up, instead having the man across from her take charge.

“The food was quite interesting. I’ve heard such rave reviews, I just had to try. I wasn’t expecting a variety,” the man muses, setting his silverware down. The woman gives a swirl of her red wine, barely touching the stew in front of her. Kyungsoo grows a little stiff, not sure of whether to take it as a blow, but he waits with wide, expecting eyes. 

“It was a compliment,” the man chuckles, patting the chef lightly. Kyungsoo breaks out in a nervous smile, laughing lightly with the man. He feels himself automatically bowing slightly in the emptiness of the situation, no doubt from his upbringing. He can hear the snarky laugh from the bar.

“I’m glad you enjoyed your evening. Do come again anytime,” Kyungsoo smiles and sends his regards to the couple. He can feel the sweat start to cool against his skin as he approaches the bar where Jongdae is failing hard to hide his smirk. 

“Smooth,” he speaks in his light, teasing tone. He’s restocking the liquors, just as he would every night. Jongdae is one of the few employees that Kyungsoo doesn’t hate with a burning passion. There isn’t much to hate about the guy, except for his annoying laugh and his tendency to be friendly with everyone with little effort. But Kyungsoo supposes that was because Jongdae’s the bartender. It is his job.

“Shut up, please,” Kyungsoo groans, sitting at the stool. He shoots a glance at the couple who left and the barely touched food sitting on the white plates. Another waste. “Gin and tonic.”

“I’m going to have to card you, sir,” Jongdae places his hand out expectantly with a playful glint in his eye.

“And I’m going to fire you,” Kyungsoo grunts, slapping Jongdae’s hand away as the bartender cackles obnoxiously. Jongdae turns away, making the requested drink in a snap and handing it back to his boss. Kyungsoo dances his tongue around the bitterness of the alcohol and the burn that it brings to his throat. He needs it.

Chanyeol comes up from behind in his tattered jeans and clean of his work clothes. He smiles, cupping a hand to Kyungsoo’s chin and tugging it playfully. Kyungsoo can feel the grin that spread on Chanyeol’s face, “Are you flirting with the bartender again, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo slaps his hand away too, and glares as his lips sit around the rim of the glass. Chanyeol is the only other idiot that Kyungsoo can stand a little bit more than the rest of his staff. He swears that Jongdae and Chanyeol would have met anyway with their big personalities. 

“Did you close up the kitchen?” Kyungsoo drones, and Chanyeol nods while ordering a glass of wine. Jongdae, of course, obliges. 

“Yixing, Sehun, and Jongin all chipped in,” Chanyeol grins while Kyungsoo makes a gurgling sound of disappointment. 

“They always disappear when I have to close the kitchen down,” Kyungsoo groans, sipping his drink again.

“Maybe it’s because they like me better. Or because you’re an asshole,” Chanyeol argues, shrugging and downing his wine.

“I’m pretty sure Jongin is scared of you,” Jongdae points out, making himself a mixed drink.

Kyungsoo gives them both a bored look, “I’m supposed to be an asshole. I’m the boss.” (He swore he heard Jongdae mutter _you can say that again_ , but the smirk behind his glass is unreadable.)

Chanyeol snorts, “You’re just lucky they come in every day.”

Kyungsoo gives an honest chuckle, and it feels good against his chest, “Easily replaceable.”

“And that’s why you’re the boss.”

Chanyeol and Jongdae give a laugh and center their glasses in the middle. Kyungsoo shrugs, agreeing to clink his glass as well as they throw their drinks back for the night. 

-

Rolling out of bed and into his morning routine, Kyungsoo drags in the morning. His thoughts are pretty much the same in the morning while he takes a shower. He looks into the mirror with a frown, his fingers poking into his protruding pocket of belly fat. 

_Maybe I should work out…_

The fingers comb against his body to find the little red pimples against his neck, only to turn around to see a constellation of pimples and acne scars. He huffs and shakes his head with a towel, swiping away the memories of the acne scars from his teenage years. 

He’s twenty-seven now, and he has come up with every excuse possible to not take care of himself properly. He uses acne washes that help within the first couple of days, but he gives up on them. He signs up for a gym membership in the Brooklyn, but only goes a few times before giving up on that too.

He sighs. He’s given up on relationships a long time ago too. The last time he was in a relationship, he realized that the person only liked him for his cooking. It’s irritating, to say the least. He’s more than a chef, but people just don’t get close enough to see it.

Kyungsoo finishes his morning routine, slinging his bag over his shoulder as he leaves his apartment and his self-deprecating thoughts behind him. 

He always leaves for the subway station early so he can get into Manhattan early. His restaurant (named _World Tour_ , for its fine cuisine and worldly flavors) is in the heart of NYC, perched in the busiest streets of America. Kyungsoo doesn’t even bother with a car since he knows that he will never get to the restaurant with the morning traffic, and that he lives in a little sketchy apartment complex. 

The subway ride is uneventful as always as he sees the same people every day with tired looks on their faces. Kyungsoo exits the subway, making his way up to the surface with grey skies and bustling streets. It’s louder at the surface where Kyungsoo can get lost in the sea of people or drown in the noise. Being a small speck on the sidewalks of New York makes Kyungsoo feel uncomfortable, so he walks to forget.

He finally makes it to the restaurant, opening the doors to be greeted with a screech from inside. His business partner, Junmyeon, jumps out of his office, eyes and hands frantic as he practically jumps into Kyungsoo. 

“Junmyeon, what the hell-“

“Look! Look!” Junmyeon jabs his finger at the paper he holds in front of Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo squints hard to find the exact spot.

“We made the front cover of _The Times_?” Kyungsoo is unsure, and by the look of Junmyeon’s face, it probably isn’t right.

“Read it,” Junmyeon huffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Kyungsoo squints again, the black and white font not helping with his adjusting eyes. But he reads it diligently, only to discover a horrible truth. 

It’s a review. And a bad one.

_“The feel of the restaurant is somewhat disorganized. I don’t know what the chef’s specialty is, and probably neither do they-- coming from the fact that one lunch I had kimchi stew for a meal, crème brulee for dessert, and a Sangria for beverage. Sure, embracing cultures is great, and fusion is delicious, but too many can lead to a disaster._

_The atmosphere is a nice touch. There is a bustling city around the area, but glass walls to contain it. Although, I wish I didn’t have to witness someone getting mugged on the street while sipping my Moscato._

_Don’t get me started on the chefs. I could make better kimchi with my hands tied behind my back. The bulgogi was dry and the pieces of meat were basically fat. The one good touch is that they seasoned it – but way too much! My poor mouth could barely open with the amount of sticky honey glued to my teeth._

_Another meal gone awful was the soufflé. Did this chef even go to culinary school –“_

Kyungsoo crumples the paper in anger and throws it in the trash. He storms into Junmyeon’s office, the other following closely behind with calm words.

“It’s not _horrible_ ,” Junmyeon whispers behind closed doors. Kyungsoo feels like he’s burning alive.

“He criticized everything,” Kyungsoo grits his teeth to not let his anger seep through too much. Breathing exercises is what his anger management coach taught him, but right now he thought _to hell with that!_

“Who is this guy anyway?” Kyungsoo growls in anger, banging his fists against the wall as Junmyeon cowers over in the corner of the room. “I don’t even know this reviewer. Did _The Times_ just pick him up off the street? He insulted my mother’s kimchi stew recipe, for crying out loud!”

“Let’s not get hasty,” Junmyeon put up his hands in defense, grabbing another _NYT_ paper from his desk. Kyungsoo gives him an eye and Junmyeon shyly says, “I tried to buy all of the papers so no one could read it.”

“It’s online, idiot,” Kyungsoo mumbles angrily, sitting down in Junmyeon’s chair. At least at a lower level he can recollect his thoughts. 

Junmyeon furiously types on the computer, showing a pop up page for a blog site. Junmyeon shoves Kyungsoo to come look, and the latter groans.

_Byun Baekhyun – certified nutritionist and professional food blogger. Writer for The New York Times._

“Well, he’s Korean,” Junmyeon points out, like it was supposed to help the situation. Kyungsoo shoves Junmyeon out of the way to explore the page. He finds Byun Baekhyun’s head shot with a perky smile.

“What a dick,” Kyungsoo sneers. His eyes are too bright and cheerful to conceal the ugly personality. His mouth is a weird shape to spew bullshit, and his skin is way too photo shopped to be real. It’s _glistening._

“You’re only saying that because he didn’t like your food,” Junmyeon mutters, currently fiddling with his phone. 

“He insulted my food. No human being has ever insulted my food. I’m trained for God’s sake,” Kyungsoo’s fiery tongue spits as his eyes burn holes through the computer. He hates Byun’s stupid, arrogant smile. “You just hope that I never see his sorry ass, because I will deck him out.”

“Clearly you didn’t read the rest of it,” Junmyeon squeaks, and Kyungsoo’s head spun around with confusion written on his face. Kyungsoo rips a paper out of Junmyeon’s hands, searching the horrible column. 

_“3 out of 5 –Even with the multiple bad experiences, I see potential in the place. I will definitely be coming back to update you all on their ever-changing menu.”_

Kyungsoo settles the paper down with an unsettling smirk. Junmyeon raises a curious eyebrow, trying to mouth his words carefully so he doesn’t get bludgeoned to death.

“Please tell me you’re not going to kill him,” Junmyeon gives Kyungsoo a weak look, like a disappointed parent. “I don’t need a lawsuit.”

“No, no,” Kyungsoo says slowly, the smile spreading wildly. “You’ll see. Byun Baekhyun’s going to see that pay back is a bitch.”

-

Kyungsoo is preparing the marinades for the meats today when Chanyeol and Jongdae come in, each with big smiles. They both live in the same apartment complex since they had to move when Kyungsoo scouted them out. Kyungsoo met Chanyeol in culinary school since they both spoke Korean and were learning English. He met Jongdae in a bar in Manhattan while studying abroad. And when Chanyeol and Jongdae met, disasters happened. They were inseparable. 

“This weeks specials are Korean and Italian!” Kyungsoo calls out and posts the procedure.

Chanyeol and Jongdae come through the kitchen, laughing away as they wash their hands and help Kyungsoo prepare the meals for today before the other help come in. Jongdae usually did most of the heavy lifting while Chanyeol cut. 

“That chick was totally into me last night,” Chanyeol grins, tossing tomato and basil into a bowl. Jongdae snorts from the back of the pantry and mutters something unintelligible. 

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow but keeps his eye on his meat, “You went out last night?”  
Jongdae comes back from the pantry, dough in hand, “Of course we did. Just because you want to be old and alone doesn’t mean we have to.”

“Hey –,” Kyungsoo closes his mouth, not wanting to add to the _grandpa status_. Instead, he returns back to the meat, slamming his meat tenderizer onto the beef. “You guys can just ask me if I wanted to go out.”

“Alright, grandpa,” Chanyeol chuckles, mixing the sauce well with his hands. They each work in sync, Kyungsoo showing Jongdae how thin to roll out the dough and Chanyeol putting away the sauce to make yet another one.

“Hey, do you guys want to be in on my plan?” Kyungsoo slyly grins, waving the thin paper news strip from this morning. 

“Yes,” Jongdae answers automatically, but adds carefully, “Wait. Is it murder? Then no, count me out. I can’t be sent to jail, look at me. They would tear me apart.”

“I’d bet you find a real nice guy in there. One that’ll treat you right,” Chanyeol snorts as Jongdae punches him in the back. 

“Children, please,” Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, pointing out the review article. “ _The Times_ sent a food blogger here and he has the culinary expertise of a garden gnome.”

Both Chanyeol and Jongdae peer down at the article, raising eyebrows and construing their faces in confusion. Chanyeol pipes up, “So, we got a really bad review. What about it?”

“Are you going to kill him?” Jongdae squeaks.

Kyungsoo throws the paper down, “What’s wrong with you? Of course not. I’m going to convince him to never write another bad review of us.”

Jongdae blinks slowly, “Oh, right. That totally doesn’t sound like a threat.”

“Anyway, I’m going to do it regardless of whether you’re in or not,” Kyungsoo places his hands on his hips. Chanyeol and Jongdae are eyeing him like he’s a sociopath. The chef rolls his eyes, “I’m not going to hurt him. Maybe emotionally scar him a little.”

“Yeah, that’s the way to let out your anger. Just use passively aggressive tactics on an innocent guy,” Chanyeol crosses his arms, which means that he’s _adulting_. “You have to hit him hard. Make an impression.”

“What? Do you _want me_ to murder him?”

“I know a guy in the Bronx if you really need to,” Jongdae pipes up, smoothing out a bubble in the dough.

“No one asked you,” Chanyeol turns around, slapping Jongdae until he cries. He turns back to Kyungsoo with a grand look in his eye, and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if it was an evil look or not. “No. Use what God gave you, you talented son of a bitch.”

Kyungsoo grins. He knew why he chose Chanyeol as his Sous chef.

-

Lunch time comes rolling by when _World Tour_ opens up to customers. The servers come into the kitchen haphazardly, and it soon becomes a rush hour for lunch. One of the younger servers, Jongin, comes rushing through the kitchen, his hair unkempt and shirt untucked. Kyungsoo gives him an eye, but it’s cut off immediately. 

“He called ahead saying he was going to be late,” Chanyeol nudges Kyungsoo, letting Jongin pass through to the back to wash his hands. “Said traffic was a bitch. Pile up in Times Square.”

Kyungsoo nods, silently going back to work until he hears his phone ring. He’s in the middle of a tossing his sirloin into the oven to finish cooking and groans. He quickly turns to Chanyeol, but he’s also busy fighting the sweat on his face as he smears sauce across the tilapia. Kyungsoo catches eyes with Jongin, “Answer my phone!”

“What?” Jongin looks down to Kyungsoo’s leg to see the smart phone light up. He whines, “Hyung.”

“Do it, or I’ll fire you,” Kyungsoo threatens. Jongin obliges, sliding his hand into Kyungsoo’s pocket to grab the phone and put it on speaker phone. “What?”

“He’s here~!” Jongdae screeches from the other side, and Kyungsoo’s eyes double in surprise. He can see Chanyeol visibly grin and Jongin is taken back, holding the phone a lot farther away to maintain hearing.

“Okay, where is he being seated?” Kyungsoo asks as he continues working on the sirloin. 

“The middle section, I think seat 7,” Jongdae then hums, cutting off his own thought. “Wait, I know this guy.”

“ _What?_! How? And why couldn’t you have told me when I showed you his picture?” Kyungsoo shrieks, slamming the pan down. He totally did not go through Baekhyun’s entire blog.

“We partied with him last night.”

“We did?!” Chanyeol hollers back, but Kyungsoo shoves him away. He doesn’t need to deal with two loud idiots.

“You just don’t forget an ass like that.”

Jongin shrinks back, trying to mentally bleach that. 

“You slept with him?!” Kyungsoo sets everything down, washing his hands again, scrubbing hard. He takes his phone from the traumatized Jongin and sets out to the secret hallway where he can see out into the restaurant. 

“Oh God no,” Jongdae shrieks exasperatedly, but Kyungsoo can see the smirk on his face from across the dining room. “I just get a little grabby when I’m drunk.”  
Kyungsoo sighs with frustration bubbling in his throat, “Well, keep your dick in your pants for a second.”

Kyungsoo ends the call on the bartender and looks out to see that smiling asshole reviewer seated across the dining room, his body facing the kitchen. It’s a perfect view to see every movement and facial muscle of the guy, and Kyungsoo will know his true reactions to the food. 

Kyungsoo catches eyes with Jongin, poor luck for him, once again and grins like a shark smelling blood. Jongin hustles over, following Kyungsoo to the back.

“Jongin, do me a favor. Wait on Table 7,” Kyungsoo orders. Jongin looks terrified. 

“But that’s Yoona’s section,” Jongin whispers, but Kyungsoo narrows his eyes like a hawk. That seems to get Jongin moving, racing to the table before Yoona gets there. Kyungsoo just watches from the hallway, staring at the reviewer’s motions.

Baekhyun’s eyes light up when Jongin comes running up. When Jongin apologizes for the wait with a bow, Baekhyun laughs lightly and smiles warmly. Baekhyun points at the menu a couple of times, his eyes darting from the menu and to Jongin, again, smiling and laughing. It’s so odd, Kyungsoo thinks, that there’s a soulless dick behind that smile.

Jongin goes to the bar, requesting a water and returns it to Baekhyun. Kyungsoo watches Baekhyun take a couple sips, and he hopes that by staring hard enough Baekhyun might choke on the water.

Jongin comes back with Baekhyun’s order, and Kyungsoo grins in delight. He returns back to Chanyeol, waving the ticket, “He picked the new items on the menu.”

“One calamari and dwaeji bulgogi!” Chanyeol yells across the kitchen, setting up his cutting board to cut the fresh octopus. Kyungsoo waits on the rest, going to the back pantry to get the marinated meat and spices for the bulgogi. He knew this was going to work. Kyungsoo knows his spices too well to mess anything up. By the end of the meal, Baekhyun would be dying in his seat from the holy meal made from Kyungsoo’s hands.

Chanyeol finishes with the calamari, deep frying it in minutes, and tosses it in garlic and salt with squeezed fresh lemon on top. The first part of the plan is in for execution. Kyungsoo is in the middle of frying the meat when Jongin takes the calamari, and Chanyeol nudges him to go check out the reaction.

Kyungsoo runs over just as Baekhyun takes his first bite of the calamari. His dainty fingers pick up a tentacle piece, inspect it over end, and then pop it into his mouth. He blinks, chewing slowly and then visibly swallows. His pink tongue darts out, licking the spices that stay on his lips before patting his thin fingers dry. Baekhyun picks up a notebook from his table, jotting down something with his pencil. There’s little to none expressions forming on his face, but Kyungsoo knows that what he’s writing has to be compliments. 

Nevertheless, the first part is complete. He’s drawn in by the fresh tastes of Italy, and soon he would be trapped in the next courses clutches. 

The spicy bulgogi is ready, sizzling right off the stove. Kyungsoo makes sure that the plate is filled with the aromatic spices and garnished beautifully. Nothing is left unturned in Kyungsoo’s kitchen.

Baekhyun perks up his head again, smiling brightly as the bulgogi approaches. Baekhyun thanks the waiter and then begins to write about the presentation. The first bite is the same as the course before, expressionless and devoid of any cues. It’s so bizarre that Kyungsoo can’t leave his spot. He’s awestruck that the review just remains neutral even with spicy dishes.

“What’s he doing?” Chanyeol peeks over.

Kyungsoo is baffled, “He’s not doing anything. There’s no hums or scrunches or anything. He just chews, swallows, and then writes.”

Chanyeol watches for a few more seconds before he goes back into the kitchen. Kyungsoo is still in his spot, secretly waiting for Baekhyun to break from eating without expression. He’s disappointed. He thought that he could blow the reviewer away with his spice combinations. His life is poured into the sauces he makes and his personality is in the sear marks of the steaks. It’s just a devastating blow.

Suddenly, Chanyeol comes rushing out of the kitchen with little side dishes. Kyungsoo watches as Baekhyun blinks out of his neutral face and with a confused smile, he accepts the side dishes. It’s happening all so fast that Kyungsoo doesn’t really know how to react. Baekhyun takes a gentle bite, but is instantly in revulsion and spits it out into his napkin. His face is scrunched and disgusted, and it takes several gulps of water to dissipate.

“What did you do?” Kyungsoo seethes as Chanyeol comes back. 

“I gave him side dishes with cucumber,” Chanyeol says simply, walking into the kitchen more. Kyungsoo’s blood is boiling at the reply. He knows that Chanyeol knows about Baekhyun’s dislikes – and it’s cucumber. 

“Why did you do that?!” Kyungsoo is chasing after Chanyeol, who steadily goes back to work. 

Chanyeol shrugs, chopping the onion, “It got him out of the restaurant, didn’t it?”  
Now Kyungsoo is broiling in anger. He’s at the point of breaking, “You idiot! We wanted a good review, and you just ruined it.”

The Sous Chef doesn’t have anything else to say, and the kitchen staff resumes their jobs after the mini feud. But Kyungsoo is still in shock, and he slams down a pan just to emphasize it.

“Uh… Chef?” Jongin squeaks.

“What?” Kyungsoo snaps.

Jongin swallows, “Um, the guy paid and left. And he says he’ll come back to speak with the manager.”

Kyungsoo wants to just slam his head into the counter tops.

-

Kyungsoo is back at the restaurant for dinner time after a short break. He puts on his white chef’s coat and apron and steps outside of the kitchen to survey the area. He looks out into the crowd of patron’s, some familiar and a lot new. Jongdae’s bar is busy since it’s a Friday night of thirsty people. 

Kyungsoo’s eyes scan the crowd again and pinpoints the back where a couple of men sip wine over calamari. When Kyungsoo recognizes Junmyeon’s face and the wine in his hands, dread seeps through his body. He knows that the manager is sucking up to an unhappy customer. Kyungsoo prays it isn’t who he thinks it is.

Kyungsoo approaches with the fakest politeness as he walks past customers enjoying his food. Tortellini and steak cubes are on several plates, and the kimchi stew in others for the chilly New York nights. As he walks through, he feels a sour tone go through his body. How many other patrons hate his food and just eat without feeling? How many others will be turned away by Baekhyun’s notes.

“Good evening gentlemen,” Kyungsoo says, hands held onto the patrons’ chair as he reaches Junmyeon’s table. Kyungsoo flicks his eyes to the patron in the chair, and he’s faced back with playful eyes from the blonde reviewer. 

“Ah, Kyungsoo, what a surprise! This is the head chef of _World Tour_ ,” Junmyeon says and then gulps some more wine because a nervous chatter goes through him. “And Kyungsoo, this is the _New York Times_ reviewer, Byun Baekhyun.”

“Pleasure,” Baekhyun pulls out his hand to shake, and Kyungsoo must accept it. His wrists are thin and hands are soft, Kyungsoo notices. He’s definitely a delicate guy, against Kyungsoo’s hands which have been washed thoroughly and are coarse. 

Kyungsoo sets his eyes to the half-eaten appetizer on their table and tries to smile, “Ah, that’s the calamari. How are you enjoying it this evening?”

“It’s my second time ordering it. I have to try it whenever I got out to an Italian restaurant,” Baekhyun explains, stretching his long fingers out to grab a fried piece. “Can I suggest something to you?”

Kyungsoo wants to grimace, but he knows Junmyeon and Baekhyun are watching. Here’s another thing that pisses off Kyungsoo: suggestions. Most of them are from people who aren’t knowledgeable in the food industry, or are picky about tastes. But other times, Kyungsoo is just stuck up and doesn’t want to listen. 

“Sure. You’re a nutritionist. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to say about fried foods,” Kyungsoo tries his best not to sound condescending, but Junmyeon is already pouring himself another glass of wine. Kyungsoo strains a smile, while Baekhyun gives a small laugh.

“Oh? I’m flattered that you even read my bio,” Baekhyun’s smile is challenging, like he knows that Kyungsoo won’t like anything he says. “Well, the garlic seasoning is just a little bit too salty. I’m sure you’ve read about America’s heart disease and high blood pressure rates. Preservatives and salts are the leading contributor, so we all have to do our part in preventative measures.”

“Of course,” Kyungsoo grits his teeth underneath his tight-lipped smile.

Baekhyun turns over the piece to inspect it, “But the garlic and lemon are fresh? And the batter is light.”

“Yes, we use daily fresh ingredients,” Kyungsoo responds, but he’s really wound up. 

“Then continue with just a pinch of salt, not a tablespoon,” Baekhyun smiles brightly and pops the piece into his mouth. It makes Kyungsoo’s blood boil, but there’s no opportunity for him to even refute. 

“I appreciate the suggestion,” Kyungsoo gives his tight-lipped smile a stretch, and it hurts. 

“Anytime,” Baekhyun says, and it’s just pouring salt into the wound.

“So, Baekhyun here has been telling me that’s he had an incident during his last meal,” Junmyeon comes in to break the tension with even more serious conversations. He looks like he’s drinking to forget. “I wanted to get this sorted out immediately.”

Kyungsoo nods obediently and listens to Baekhyun’s recounted story. He’s upset, and Kyungsoo is too. Chanyeol should have never given out something that isn’t on the menu or was requested. 

“I hope you punished your Sous Chef. In my case, it was only my particular disdain, but it could be that I was allergic,” Baekhyun frowns at the recount and Kyungsoo seriously feels bad for it. “I just hope that you are aware of patrons’ allergies and how severe food allergies can be.”

“Of course, we’re cautious and upfront on our menus. And we all received training on contamination and sanitization,” Kyungsoo nods along, hoping to alleviate Baekhyun’s anger and perhaps get something good out of the experience. Baekhyun seems a little relieved after.

“I did offer payment for reconciliation,” Junmyeon offers, but Baekhyun waves him away.

“That sounds like bribery,” Baekhyun jokes, sipping his drink. Kyungsoo waits between the two, but it’s awfully awkward. 

“We were just mulling over some ideas, and I think Baekhyun has a great suggestion,” Junmyeon tries to hand off the conversation to Baekhyun, but he was in the middle of casually licking his fingers of the _salty, deep fried, Godsend that Kyungsoo made with his bare hands._

Junmyeon sighs, but tries his hardest to be enthusiastic, “He suggests an exclusive private tour of the facilities. He especially is enthusiastic about getting the chance to witness your talent of cooking. His words, not mine.” 

Kyungsoo almost gawks, but he knows that Baekhyun is staring. Instead, he mulls over the idea, even though his answer has to be ‘yes’. 

“What do you say?” Baekhyun says, eyes convincingly gentle and kind. Kyungsoo is skeptical, as always. This plan was sabotage. Maybe he was going to infiltrate the kitchen and sell all his recipes to different restaurants in New York. He wouldn’t be surprised. 

Kyungsoo opens his fist to let the blood seep through his extremities, and sighs, “I will have to check my schedule for openings. It’s not every day we get a tourist.”  
Baekhyun smiles falls and he takes a sip of his wine to hide it. He promptly puts on his preppy smile, and takes his leave. 

“Thank you, gentlemen, for the evening chat, but I must be going. I have a flight to catch for Paris tomorrow,” Baekhyun lifts his napkin from his lap, throwing it haphazardly onto the table. His eyes linger onto Kyungsoo, and never Junmyeon, and he gives a sweet smile.

“Your manager has my phone number, but just in case –,” Baekhyun takes out the receipt and writes the tiny numbers onto the back with his name (not to mention a cute heart at the end). He leaves the paper in Kyungsoo’s hands with a leery look on his face. “Call me if you have an opening. I’m _very_ flexible.”

Baekhyun finally leaves the restaurant and leaves Kyungsoo and Junmyeon just speechless. Kyungsoo blinks, “He’s very strange.”

“You’re telling me,” Junmyeon slurs, waving over Kyungsoo to sit. He’s smiling wide, and drunk already, “He’s actually a pretty nice guy once you sit and talk to him.”

Kyungsoo shrugs, “I’m sure you say that about him now, but his reviews are absolutely horrendous. Actions speak louder than words.”

Junmyeon goes quiet for a little bit while Kyungsoo eats some left over calamari. And then he mumbles, “You still have to give him a tour.”

Kyungsoo sighs, “Yeah, I know. I don’t like it.”

“Me neither, but it’ll satisfy him,” Junmyeon lets his head roll on his shoulders. “He’ll be back from Europe in a week. Make sure to call him, or else I’ll do it. And you don’t like it when I do things.”

Kyungsoo chuckles, and ruffles his hair, “Not true. I like you when you say that we’re making profit.”

-

Kyungsoo paces around his apartment, desperately avoiding eye contact with his phone. He tries to call Baekhyun three times, but every time he feels so clammy and disgusting on the phone. He breathes, and finally looks at his phone sitting on the table. Kyungsoo stares at the number he put in his phone. He’s got a million questions flying through his head. He’s running through every possible scenario.

It only takes one step of bravery. Kyungsoo holds in a squeezed breath, his thumb brushing against the call button, and he presses it with as little force as possible. He gasps, quickly flinging the phone in his hands to press it up against his ear to hear the drone of the dial tone. 

Kyungsoo never could get over the uncomfortableness that comes with talking on the phone. He shrivels up in a ball when he calls the wrong number, and refuses to talk to anyone unless he’s met them in real life. 

The cut in between the rings makes his heart race faster. 

“Hello? This is Byun Baekhyun,” the voice is a little muffled, and Kyungsoo can definitely hear the noise of breathing through the microphone. Kyungsoo instantly has to clear his throat when he opens his mouth and dried saliva is stuck in his throat. “Hello?”

He rushes, “Hi. It’s Do Kyungsoo from _World T_ –”

Baekhyun’s bright, airy laugh breaks through Kyungsoo’s sentence, and Kyungsoo is more relieved than pissed off. Baekhyun’s interjection breaks Kyungsoo’s awkward tension in his voice. 

“I was waiting for your call.” Kyungsoo can hear the grin in Baekhyun’s voice, very handsome and deep. He wonders if this is the real Baekhyun. “I was in Paris all by myself, and I just kind of… Oh, sorry. I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“It’s fine,” Kyungsoo automatically finds himself breathing again. “I was wondering if you still wanted to come to the restaurant.”

“Oh, of course,” Baekhyun hums, and suddenly whispers, “Hold on a second.”

Kyungsoo can hear rustling in his ear, the kind where it blends into white noise. All he can do is sit and imagine, drumming his fingers lightly against his thigh as the nerves trickle back in. 

“Sorry!” Baekhyun’s bright tone cuts through again after a moment, and Kyungsoo’s heart does a flip. “Had to find my planner. I’m old fashioned when it comes to planning. Pen and paper will never let you down!” 

Kyungsoo has gotten lost in the bright, rambling tone of the reviewers voice, and he swears he’s talking to a different person. This guy is bubbly, bright, and half-way decent to talk to. Even the way he rambles makes Kyungsoo’s nerves die down, and that’s a hefty feat to accomplish. 

“What were you saying?”

Kyungsoo blinks, trying to recall his rehearsed speech, but it all goes blank. He improvises, “Uh, right. So, my mornings are free if you want to come in.”

“I’m very willing, Mr. Do,” Baekhyun chuckles, and Kyungsoo can hear rustling in the background. Kyungsoo can feel his face heat up from Baekhyun’s flirtatious way of talking. It’s comforting and embarrassing at the same time.

“Just Kyungsoo will do,” he murmurs as he hears Baekhyun flip through pages. “And I wake up pretty early to start prepping for the day. 5 am sharp.”

After a couple of rustles and muffled breathing against the microphone, Baekhyun’s voice cuts into the white noise again. It isn’t disappointed, but rather perky, “Sure thing! What day is good for you? I’m open all this week.”

Kyungsoo isn’t expecting that. Being a reviewer for _The New York Times_ , he would think that Baekhyun would be busier. He was in Paris all last week, and he seems to be busy on his blog. Kyungsoo is blanking again, stuttering, “Uh, h-how about Tuesday?”

Baekhhyun’s line is rustling and busy, but Baekhyun’s voice lights up the line, “Oh that’s great.”

There’s moments of silence. Kyungsoo is staring down at his shag rug, waiting for the inevitable chime in Baekhyun’s voice to ring again, but it never comes. The awkwardness settles in again, “Uh, okay. Tuesday then.”

He can hear a giggle on the other end, and Kyungsoo is confused yet again. Baekhyun’s voice cuts through, soft and smooth, “I can’t wait. I’ll be looking forward to it.”

-

Kyungsoo can’t rest easy for the next couple of days just because of Baekhyun’s personality swap. He wasn’t expecting a polite, docile man on the other end of the line. He expected a pretentious man with a filled schedule to only stop by for 15 minutes. This phone stunt makes him even more suspicious of Baekhyun’s character, and he’s on guard.

Kyungsoo does his daily routine, making sure to poke himself in all the jiggly places to get his self-esteem really low in the morning. The morning subway ride is nerve wracking as hell, and Kyungsoo idly bounces his leg the whole ride to Manhattan. Even during the five minute walk to the restaurant, Kyungsoo comes up with every excuse to get himself out of the situation. 

_“Oh, sorry I couldn’t make it! Forgot to pay the electric bill!”, “My grandmother died.”, “Subway crash.”, “I’m heading to a funeral.”, “I’m on life support.”_

But even with the million excuses he comes up with, he takes a deep breath and lets his legs take control. He carries on with the thousands of thoughts in his head and hundreds of ways to turn around, and ends up in front of the restaurant doors. He peers around to find no one outside. He briefly looks at his watch to notice that it was two minutes before 5 am. 

And no more than 30 seconds later, he can hear some curses from behind him. Kyungsoo’s ears perk up on it from across the street and his eyes follow to Baekhyun, who is carrying two white Styrofoam cups in his hands. His attire is impeccable, a simple pairs of dark blue jeans with a flannel that definitely came from J. Crew. And even from the distance, Kyungsoo can see Baekhyun’s lips in distraught, caught between a confused look and a frustrating pout.

But as soon as Baekhyun steps onto the sidewalk for the restaurant, Baekhyun’s face lights up. A generous smile appears on his face as he holds out a Styrofoam cup. “Do you like coffee?”

“Black?”

“You bet. I figured there would be cream and sugar inside,” Baekhyun holds it out further, and Kyungsoo takes it carefully. Kyungsoo slips the keys inside the doors and opens the place for their enjoyment. Baekhyun’s bright red sneakers squeak against the floor, but all Kyungsoo can concentrate on is the laugh he admits once they’re inside.

“It’s a lot different when it’s quiet. It’s a whole different atmosphere,” Baekhyun muses, eyes scanning the area, and he follows Kyungsoo into the manager’s office. The office is quiet and empty upon request. Baekhyun immediately plops down into the closest chair. He sets his coffee to the ground and whips out his phone. His thumbs tap wildly onto the screen, and Kyungsoo is just mildly curious.

“What are you doing?”

Baekhyun doesn’t take his eyes off the phone screen. Instead he sticks his tongue out in concentration and replies, “Snapchat.”

Kyungsoo scrunches his face in confusion, “ _Snap –what?_ ”

And for about a millisecond, Baekhyun flicks his eyes toward Kyungsoo and gives him a squint. 

“It’s a social media app. You take pictures and they only last seconds and disappear. They’ve got the cute filters. How have you not heard of this?” Baekhyun grins anyway, typing away again furiously. “It’s just a way to stay connected to my followers on the blog.”

Kyungsoo shrugs and continues rummaging through the drawers to find that clean apron that he’s been saving for a special occasion. Kyungsoo snatches it, along with his, and throws the clean one at Baekhyun. 

Baekhyun bounces up on his feet, and smooths the apron onto himself, tying it up in a bow tie on his back. The bouncy Baekhyun whips out his phone, angling it upwards, and poses in front of Kyungsoo, who’s still tying his own apron on. 

“Hey,” Baekhyun chirps. “Look cute.”

Kyungsoo glances up for a second to see the reflection of Baekhyun and his own potato reflection in the background. He looks pudgy and awful. Kyungsoo grabs onto Baekhyun’s wrist and pulls, “Don’t put that up.”

Baekhyun blinks, “But why?”

Baekhyun makes no attempt to push Kyungsoo away even when Kyungsoo loosens his grip on his wrist. Kyungsoo gets flushed, throws his wrist away and mumbles, “Let’s just keep this quiet, okay? This is my favor to you.”

Baekhyun flashes a skeptical look, but smiles regardless, “Sure.”

Kyungsoo introduces the kitchen to Baekhyun through the secret hallway, and Baekhyun’s eyes light up at the expanse.

“Wow,” Baekhyun muses, amazed at the metal structures. And like a child, he touches everything that he comes in contact with: the unlit grill, the cutting boards, and every single sharp knife in the drawer. 

“You’re going to cut yourself,” Kyungsoo grabs Baekhyun out of the knife drawer while the other gives a teasing smile. Kyungsoo turns on his heel to drag the other into the kitchen further. “We’re going into the pantry.”

Kyungsoo leads Baekhyun further back to two metal doors. Kyungsoo is silent as he opens up the doors to reveal the walk-in pantry. Baekhyn’s gasp of amazement cues Kyungsoo’s drone, “This is our walk-in pantry. It has everything that we need. One side is the refrigerator and the rest is the fresh side.”

“Ooh,” Baekhyun coos, peering into the sliding door to take a look at the vegetables. Kyungsoo watches as Baekhyun literally bounces from the newly delivered vegetables lying in the drawers. “I see cilantro!”

“We use it for decoration or part of the special pho we have this week,” Kyungsoo pat his hand against Baekhyun’s shoulder. “I’m not particularly fond of the taste.”

“I’ve heard that,” Baekhyun says, stuck in a thought. He shrugs, “To each their own.”

“I have to start prepping for today,” Kyungsoo turns out of the fridge with his fresh cut sirloin. “Come help.”

Kyungsoo prepares by cutting his sirloin into little chunks for fast cooking time. Kyungsoo gives Baekhyun a glance over and notices that he’s giving the garlic bundles a challenging glare. Kyungsoo nudges Baekhyun with a handle of a knife and perks an eyebrow, “Do you know how to peel the garlic cloves?”

Baekhyun laughs brightly, grabs the knife handle immediately and sets it down for further safety. Baekhyun grins, stripping the outer layer of the garlic to reveal the shelled cloves, “Of course. I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

Baekhyun eagerly smashes the knife against the cloves, popping the garlic out of its shell instantly. Kyungsoo wouldn’t admit it, but he’s impressed that Baekhyun is actually working well in his kitchen.

There’s just chopping between them, and the silence is something Kyungsoo relishes in. It’s something that Kyungsoo is so used to, and it’s comforting. For a moment, Kyungsoo forgets everything from this past month and everything in the room. He’s focused on making a delicious meal with things he’s made from scratch and things he knows are palatable. He knows that his cooking will reach out to several different cultures and people’s memories. 

“Here,” the voice cuts off his escape, and Kyungsoo stares at the garlic cloves in Baekhyun’s small hands. He presses a little further, “You wanted them?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo nods his head toward the processor in front of them. “And I’ll place the onions in there too.”

Kyungsoo cups the yellow onions in and throws them into the processor. Then the two ingredients are sliced promptly by the mini blades until they are finely done. Kyungsoo then takes out a wok pan and kicks the heat on so the garlic and onions could cook properly. In a minute or so, the kitchen becomes enveloped in the warming smell of the aromatic garlic and onion. And once they are done, he throws in the hot chilies cut fresh. After a stew of chilies, onions, and garlic is formed, the fast action begins.

Kyungsoo throws in a few fresh cut herbs in, tosses it a little, and then throws the cubed sirloin into the wok. There’s sizzling and it’s music to Kyungsoo’s ears. He’s searing the meat and it doesn’t take long before he tosses the wok and the meat pops from side to side. It’s flashing marinating in the hot chilies and onion and there’s a beautiful sear on it.

The smell is amazing when Kyungsoo pours the contents into a small bowl onto the counter in front of Baekhyun. It’s piping hot, smoking from its flash cooking.

“My mouth is watering,” Baekhyun says, entranced by the fiery smell. Kyungsoo is a little taken back, since it’s the first reaction he’s heard from Baekhyun. It definitely seems positive too, and it’s nice.

“Go ahead,” Kyungsoo suggests, mouth turned into a proud smile. Baekhyun takes a utensil and pierces a beef chunk with a red chili attached. It looks absolutely delightful, and Baekhyun takes it with one bite. He chews it slowly, savoring each taste and absorbing the flavors. He’s contemplating, eyes searching when the tongue snakes its way. Kyungsoo presses, “So, what do you think?”

Baekhyun gives a well-rounded smile, “Spicy, fiery, and savory. It just needs a little bit of texture, like sesame seeds or a toasted nut.”

Kyungsoo nods, mouth in an impressed smirk, “You know your stuff. We actually toss in toasted coconuts and place is on a bed of rice.”

Baekhyun licks his lips of residual sauce and Kyungsoo watches silently to see if Baekhyun goes in for a second bite. He doesn’t, instead pulling out his notebook and jotting a few notes within its pages. Kyungsoo hurts slightly, but he won’t fault Baekhyun for not liking his surprise take on Vietnamese beef. 

“What’s your favorite food?” Kyungsoo asks in the silence. Baekhyun perks up from his notes and makes a face.

“That’s kind of a hard question, isn’t it?” Baekhyun laughs, and it’s warm but a little unbalanced. Although, being on the spot is always hard, no matter the person.

Kyungsoo leans on the counter with confidence. “Okay, how about your favorite course?”

Baekhyun looks kind of terrified, almost afraid to answer even with fewer options. He ponders for a moment, and shrinks with an embarrassed blush. His eyes are to the floor, “I have a bit of sweet tooth.”

“Desert it is,” Kyungsoo smiles, picking up the metal bowls on the upper shelves.  
Baekhyun is shocked, to say the least, “Oh, no. It’s early and it’s taking your time—”

“I insist. Might as well make something you actually like, right?” Kyungsoo argues, taking up the flour and eggs from the pantry. He calls out, “Chocolate or vanilla?”

“Chocolate.” Kyungsoo eventually hears the small squeak and produces the bittersweet chocolate and vanilla extract. He returns back with all the ingredients, and Baekhyun’s eyes double in size when they are laid out on the counter.

“You really don’t have to,” Baekhyun almost whispers. Kyungsoo cracks an egg.

“Too late now,” Kyungsoo says with a small smirk. He cracks the rest of the eggs and sets them aside. Kyungsoo can admit that desserts aren’t his forte, especially when it comes to the intricate designs and art, that’s why he hired a pastry chef. However, Kyungsoo believes it’s quintessential to know how to make moist cakes and chocolate chip cookies. He’s determined to create Baekhyun’s chocolate dream, and he’ll absolutely die for it.

When Kyungsoo waits for the oven to preheat, he begins working on the base of the chocolate cake. It’s simple measurements to follow that he has memorized: 4 tablespoons of flour, 4 tablespoons of sugar, 1 stick of butter, 4 eggs, and melted chocolate. He sifts the flour, and eyeballs the sugar, and puts a little more butter, but he knows that it will come out well.

With most of it mixed, he melts the chocolate using a double boiler, and the bittersweet chocolate comes out like liquid gold. Mix that in with the batter and vanilla extract, and the chocolate cake batter is ready. Kyungsoo pours the batter into little round dishes that they use for small sides and then waits until the oven is piping hot.

Meanwhile, Baekhyun is absolutely silent, absorbed in his thoughts. Kyungsoo blocks it out, but he knows the other is staring at him. Maybe he’s entranced by the way Kyungsoo moves in the kitchen so fluidly, confident and graceful. Cooking is Kyungsoo’s art form of choice, so of course it’s mesmerizing. 

Once the oven is up high, Kyungsoo throws the small dishes into the oven and sets a small egg timer, “Eight minutes.”

Kyungsoo turns back to see Baekhyun staring, once again, very openly. Once he recognizes it himself, Baekhyun flushes. He’s red as a tomato, and Kyungsoo isn’t sure how to alleviate the situation, so he walks off into the pantry again. He’s heading straight for the herbs, and reaches for mint. 

Kyungsoo hesitates slightly, but then calls out, “Do you like ice cream?”

“Wha-?” Baekhyun calls out, and a frustrated Kyungsoo calls him back. Baekhyun practically hops over from the scrape of his newly found chair to the squeak of his shoes. He follows Kyungsoo to the back freezer and gapes at the size. 

“Do you like ice cream?” Kyungsoo repeats. 

“Of course,” Baekhyun snorts, and Kyungsoo opens the freezer to reveal the only item in the back freezer, two tubs of store bought ice cream. Baekhyun looks skeptical, “I hope chocolate ice cream isn’t your grand dessert.”

Kyungsoo scoffs, “God no. This is my Sous Chef’s stash. His apartment loses power a lot.”

Kyungsoo pulls out the vanilla ice cream and heads back to the counter tops with mint in hand. Baekhyun follows behind like a dog.

“A new or old Sous Chef?” Baekhyun asks, clearly something bothering him. 

Kyungsoo frowns, “Old.”

“I’m surprised. I was under the impression that you actually took my considerations about people’s allergies into action,” Baekhyun’s laugh is tight and full of disbelief. “But you have the same guy on staff doing whatever the hell he wants— ”

Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens, and anger rises in him. Baekhyun is upset, but it’s ugly and uncalled for. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to put his foot down since he’s kissing Baekhyun’s ass, but situations like this call for him to stamp it. No one insults his choices.

“He’s on unpaid leave for the next week,” Kyungsoo cuts Baekhyun off. It’s striking, and Baekhyun immediately hushes. Kyungsoo presses down, “It’s unacceptable, you’re right. I disciplined him, but ultimately this is all on me. If you want to insult my staff, take it out on me instead.”

That really shuts Baekhyun up, and now his angered face turns to guilt. The egg timer in the background is ticking in the silence. It’s frustrating, Kyungsoo thinks. Just when he starts liking Baekhyun, there’s just another additive. 

Kyungsoo sighs, “So, for us to prevent this again: do you have any other dislikes or allergies?”

Baekhyun looks pink again, like his expectations are blown away. He pauses, and then says quietly, “No. Just cucumbers.”

“Good,” Kyungsoo affirms. The egg timer clicks down four clicks before ringing obnoxiously. Kyungsoo pushes himself of the counter. “It’s done.”

With an oven mit, Kyungsoo takes out the mini chocolate cakes that look absolutely perfect and set them on the counter. He turns the oven off and pulls out a medium size plate. Carefully, the mini chocolate cake falls out of its shell and sets beautifully on the white plate. It looks perfectly crisp and done on the outside and Kyungsoo almost sings at its perfect look. He then scoops vanilla ice cream on the plate and garnishes it with two mint leaves.

He hands it to Baekhyun, who is just amazed at the presentation alone. Baekhyun breathes in his laugh and accepts the plate, “What a cute little cake.”

“Comes with the name: petit gateau,” Kyungsoo says with a knowing little smile. He hands Baekhyun a spoon. “Enjoy.”

Baekhyun doesn’t even inspect it first like he’s done with everything in the past. He takes a small dip into the cake and audibly gasps when the molten chocolate goodness in the middle dribbles out. He’s laughing and smiling, and Kyungsoo really likes it. 

“Careful it’s –” but Baekhyun already has the piping hot piece in his mouth, and he’s airing it out with his open mouth a waving hand. “—hot.”

Baekhyun successfully scoops some vanilla ice cream to cool his burning mouth, and he instantly melts in the taste. He’s got a little satisfied smile perched on his lips, and Kyungsoo calls it a success. It’s weird, Kyungsoo thinks. He didn’t have to try hard to get Baekhyun to smile. Kyungsoo should remember the simple phrase one of his culinary professors taught him: _keep it simple, stupid._

Before Kyungsoo knows it, Baekhyun has scarfed the mini lava cake down along with its ice cream. Even the mint leaves are gone. Kyungsoo blinks and watches Baekhyun hesitantly write some notes down.

“So, how was it?” Kyungsoo asks, trying his hardest to peer into Baekhyun’s notes, but he closes it straight away. He’s got the straightest face, very contrast to the beautiful little smile from before.

“You’ll have to read about it.”

-

“That son of a bitch,” Kyungsoo clutches his phone when he stomps into Junmyeon’s office early morning. Junmyeon is on the phone when Kyungsoo storms in like a tornado. “He fucking did it again!”

Junmyeon points to the phone that’s held to his ear, but Kyungsoo completely ignores it because _he doesn’t have fucking time_. He’s absolutely fuming, stamping around the narrow office, bumping into the tiny cabinets and he’s about _this close_ to kicking one of the metal ones until its obliterated.

“I’ll call you back,” Junmyeon says with a hushed tone. He turns back to Kyungsoo and has the disappointed dad look. He whines, “What now?”

Kyungsoo, brooding, hands over his phone for Junmyeon to stare at. He hastily growls, “I was kissing his ass last week, and he has the nerve to write another review.”

Junmyeon stares for a little longer, and he grimaces. “At least he says there’s growing room.”

“That’s horse shit, and you know it,” Kyungsoo grumbles. “It’s all your fault. You set up that stupid tour and now he acts like he knows everything about this kitchen.”

Junmyeon sighs like the stupid level-headed asshole that he is, “I think you’re overreacting.” 

Kyungsoo gapes, “After all I’ve done for him, he goes and posts about his bad experience. I apologized, I cut Chanyeol’s pay, and I cooked his favorite food. I think I’m entitled to _overreact_.”

Kyungsoo holds his head in his hands, face red with anger. It’s so infuriating. There’s pages of the _Times_ with his restaurant, his life and it’s all written with bad regards and 3 pitiful stars. It’s not even embarrassing anymore, but a true disgrace. It’s comical how bad the situation is.

Junmyeon cuts through again, angelic, “You can’t force him to like your food. People have their own tastes and are entitled to their own opinions.”

Kyungsoo is silent and still. There’s nothing more to be said, he’s already busted through his anger weld up inside.

“Just another chance, and we’ll see. We can’t guarantee that everything off his plate is good. Maybe he’s just cursed with every bad batch,” Junmyeon shrugs.

Kyungsoo gets up and glares. “I don’t make bad batches.”

He leaves, frustration at wits end. There’s not much more he can do other than being the fakest chef in front of him or take the beatings willingly. But Kyungsoo wants to punch. He wants to fight this to the very end and find the mystery to Baekhyun’s fuckery. 

Kyungsoo enters his busy kitchen at lunch rush hour. Chanyeol is on his first day back, and he’s already in the flow of things. There’s little tension between the two as they work side by side. It was hard to let off your friend for two weeks, but Kyungsoo did it as a boss. But the two weeks served Chanyeol well. He partied, worked out one time, and finally reflected.

“ _Yeah, actually boozy yoga does wonders for the body,” Chanyeol flipped the dough.  
Jongdae snorted, “And then he sobbed on my couch for two hours about getting laid off.” _

Kyungsoo flips the seared steak in the pan and calls back for some onion. Chanyeol throws over some diced onions.

“It’s good to have you back,” Kyungsoo says suddenly, and it feels good.

“Good to be back,” Chanyeol grins, and breaks open the fresh peppers. The kitchen flow feels good this lunch rush. That is, until five minutes later.

Jongin comes into the kitchen and breathes, “Oh, good. Kyungsoo!”

“Peppers,” Kyungsoo says without looking up, and the red ones are steaming. He unintentionally snaps, “What?”

Jongin gets quiet and timid, “Baekhyun is in the dining area and wants to see you.”

“He should have called ahead,” Kyungsoo says automatically. He’s not usually mean to patrons that want to see the chef, but this one is a pain in his ass. Plus, he’s in the middle of a rush and the kitchen needs help. But, the satiable one in his heart says to give the best customer service. He’s torn. “Tell him I’m busy.”

Jongin bolts out the kitchen, and Kyungsoo finally breathes. He’s got chicken roasting in the oven and steak in the pan and steamed peppers. If all goes well, without any interruptions, Kyungsoo will make yet another success.

But Jongin pokes his head through again, “He’s very adamant.”

“Fine!” Kyungsoo stops everything and throws his towel down on the ground. He’s making a commotion in the kitchen, but that’s not new. The crew will pick up after his absence, but lunch is such a pain. 

After a few breathing techniques, Kyungsoo calms his raging heart from a sprint to a jog, still hammered. Kyungsoo can see Baekhyun’s table with a plate, and he’s sitting facing the kitchen again. Kyungsoo breathes one more time before going out and facing the devil himself.

Baekhyun lights up when Kyungsoo approaches, but Kyungsoo can’t even muster a pleasant greeting. Baekhyun teases, “Should I have called ahead for you to fit me into your busy schedule?”

Kyungsoo tries his hardest not to curse out loud because he feels like he’s going to burst and cause a scene. Really, Baekhyun is just sitting, asking for some time, but Kyungsoo sees it as sabotage. Baekhyun is deliberately slowing down his kitchen by taking him away. Baekhyun is running this place into the ground just by smiling and faking kindness where he goes.

“What do you want?” Kyungsoo breathes, fists clenched by his sides. 

“Sit, please,” Baekhyun gestures to the chair across the tiny white table cloth. Kyungsoo takes it, seating himself quickly to go through Baekhyun’s motions and then head straight back into the hell fire kitchen. 

Everything feels like it’s in slow motion when Kyungsoo sits. Maybe it’s the fire under his ass, or the line of people waiting to be seated, but Kyungsoo certainly feels under pressure and time is no relief. All Kyungsoo can think about is the chicken in the oven and how Chanyeol is going to forget about it.

Baekhyun waits, mouth pulled into the pleasant smile he carries around, and it turns into the grin that pulls his eyes closed. It’s charming, but it certainly doesn’t help Kyungsoo’s leg from bouncing a mile a minute.

Baekhyun pushes his dish closer to Kyungsoo and hands him a fork. He’s gentle, “Try this.”

It’s the pasta shells with mix match of blended cheeses and herbs. It’s even got some stuffed shells just to add to the creaminess. It’s Kyungsoo’s take on macaroni and cheese; coincidentally one of the first things he ate when he came to America. It always stayed homely in Kyungsoo’s heart, mainly because of the gooey cheese.

Kyungsoo takes a bite carefully since the dish has a wisp of steam from Kyungsoo’s cut. About a fourth of it is already gone, and Kyungsoo can tell Baekhyun was in thought because his notebook laid beside him. Kyungsoo’s bite is fast since he’s antsy, but he already knows it’s good. It’s –

Baekhyun narrates, “The velvety, creamy goodness is just a fraction of the parts. You can sense the pasta’s presence for structure, but the herbed cheese is the selling point. It’s warm and a place you can call home. This dish is the embodiment of the American Dream.”

The reviewer sets his notebook down and is caught off guard with Kyungsoo’s reaction. Kyungsoo chews slowly, but completely stops once Baekhyun’s narration started. It’s very jarring that Baekhyun would give such positive phrasing to this dish when there were many like it before that deserved these narratives. There were stories in each of his dishes, most personal to his culinary journey, but none that Kyungsoo’s ever shared publicly. The fact that Baekhyun plucked this story out, almost literally from Kyungsoo’s life, from bites of macaroni and cheese makes Kyungsoo feel vulnerable and out of place.

“What is this? What are you doing?” Kyungsoo asks defensively. Anxiety wells up inside him from being called out and now from feeling exposed. 

Baekhyun gives a little shy smile, eyes with a genuine gleam, “I was just reading you my review.”

Kyungsoo swallows hard. Suddenly, he feels an anxious rush within him. He can hear all the impatient customers climbing through the door, the kitchen yelling and flash frying. He can hear the scraping of a plate, a satisfied clamor, and yet the sinister voice in the back of his head. Baekhyun is playing him so hard. He doesn’t know whether this is a sick trick or not, but this only proves that Baekhyun is ingenuine with his _New York Times_ reviews. 

“Are you mocking me?” Kyungsoo growls, and he breathes a small tremble of anger through his nose.

Baekhyun scrunches his face, but Kyungsoo can only see it as an act at this point. He knows that Baekhyun is a good liar. “Why would you think that?”

The anger rises Kyungsoo out of the seat, and his eyes are on fire. He sees Baekhyun shrink away suddenly, surprised by Kyungsoo’s deviant behavior. Kyungsoo huffs, “You’re wasting my time.”

Kyungsoo stomps back to the kitchen, leaving Baekhyun in the dust. Reviews don’t matter anymore at this point. They were all a lie anyway. Baekhyun is seriously capable of making a good review, but he chose not to for this restaurant, for Kyungsoo. It’s so deliberate that it makes Kyungsoo skin crawl. 

But he doesn’t dwell too much on it. Instead, Kyungsoo wraps his apron tighter around his body and takes care of the overdone chicken. He’s silent when he comes in, even when Chanyeol bumps into him. Like torture, the lunch rush feels like it’s never-ending. 

-

Sunday comes just in time for Kyungsoo to breathe. He goes to the restaurant late on Sunday’s, so he can lazily roam around his apartment in the mornings. And after a long miserable week, Kyungsoo needs all the down time in the world. He even takes time to brew some coffee.

His phone starts ringing just as he sits, and he groans on his couch. After this week, he doesn’t really want to get an earful.

Kyungsoo breathes in smooth Korean, “Hi Mom.”

“You haven’t called in three weeks. We wanted to have your brother check if you were dead,” his mother huffs, but it’s gentle.

“Please don’t. Seungsoo is busier than I am,” Kyungsoo groans (because his older brother is also the biggest douche). “I’ve just been having a rough month or so with the restaurant.”

He doesn’t want to explain to her that the root of all his problems stems from a little asshole reviewer – mainly because she’ll just say it’s simple:

“Well, you can always sell and come back home,” his mother says anyway. She’s always been against him leaving Korea, especially since Seungsoo also left for America. He’s the baby, and he’s always been close to his mom. And he can hear the warmth in her voice, even if she doesn’t express her love openly. “Dad needs help renovating the bath house.”

Kyungsoo stretches his neck, “Didn’t he just do the roof a month ago?”

“He did the roofing, but he wants trim around the house. It looks really nice, I’ll send you photos,” and his mom goes on for a little more about the bath house sales, so Kyungsoo pulls up his laptop so he can work. He checks the _Times_ again as routine. 

“There’s some really nice girls working at the bath house now,” his mom says dreamily and suggestively. Kyungsoo sighs. Sometimes he wishes he could just run right through an _I’m GAY!_ banner and a giant ass rainbow would hang over him. He really could do it, but he’d hate to face the look of disappointment in his mom’s eyes. And let’s not even get started with Dad.

“Mom, I’m in New York working,” Kyungsoo stresses, even though, right now he’s just staring at Baekhyun’s last review with scorn. He wishes he could burn a hole right through Baekhyun’s smile. 

“All the more reason to come back home,” Mom says simply. “Unless you’ve found a nice Korean girl there?”

“Mom,” Kyungsoo groans, and he’s still staring at Baekhyun’s picture.

“What? I’m just asking. I have to go chasing you around just to get any answers,” Mom clicks her tongue, and the thought crosses Kyungsoo’s mind once he scans Baekhyun’s caption underneath his picture. It’s a Twitter hyperlink. Once Kyungsoo opens it, a whole new look into Baekhyun’s life appears. It’s a live feed, still active. There’s a tweet from an hour ago saying: _Checking in to the Chai Spot!_

A hop and skip to Google, and up pops _Chai Spot_ , an Indian aroma tea hideout in lower Manhattan. Underneath is Baekhyun’s blog with a review article of the place, and Baekhyun’s brilliant smile and amateur photography. 

“Are we going to see you?” 

Kyungsoo blinks. Mom asks this frequently, but it always seems to surprise him. It shouldn’t, he hasn’t seen his family in years. The last time he actually spent time with the family was after his world cuisine tour and training. The next day, he left for America.

Kyungsoo cradles the phone in the junction of his shoulder and neck. He’s trying, “I told you. You and Dad can close the bath house for a week and come down here.”

“You would put your poor Mom in that cramped apartment? And you would still work – when would we get to see New York with you?” Mom sounds more and more disappointed the way that her voice strains. She pauses for a breath and says sadly, “And Seungsoo is coming home for Christmas this year. It would be nice to have you too.”

That’s Mom for you. It’s October, but she’s already planning Christmas. 

Kyungsoo sighs, and it’s really guilty. “I don’t think I can, Mom. There’s a dinner for some A-list celebrity and I’m trying to coordinate with their assistant.”

“Right. We know you’re busy,” Mom’s voice is low, but she sounds hopeful in the next beat. “I just hope you aren’t alone for it.”

“I know,” Kyungsoo’s eyes drift back over to Baekhyun’s picture. A fire sets in his chest and swells. “I have to go, Mom, but thanks for calling.”

“Stay healthy,” Mom says, and Kyungsoo laughs. They exchange goodbyes, and Kyungsoo swings on a coat. He knows the exact line to take to get to lower Manhattan, and he has the relative idea of where this tea shop is. If he goes now, he’ll catch up to Baekhyun. He’s going to chase him for some answers. After everything else failing, this was his last option.

The subway isn’t too crowded after the morning rush, and the line goes right up to the closest block. The station isn’t too far from the tea shop, but Kyungsoo uses his phone just in case he gets lost through the blocks. From Google Maps, the tea shop has just a tiny store front place and easy to miss. 

Kyungsoo finds it somehow. It blends well into the department store fronts with a generic clean store title. However, once Kyungsoo steps inside, the shop transforms into a dark, warm sanctuary. There’s warm yellow tea lights in traditional Hindi candle holders. Kyungsoo can see little statues of a woman, a deity that he’s seen before on his tour of India. The family, small restaurant owners themselves, kept a small statue of Annapurna to bring nourishment for enlightenment. 

“Welcome,” a younger girl comes out with a menu. “You may sit where you like.”

Kyungsoo has a mission though, “Did another Korean man come by here? He’s got blonde hair.”

The girl nods. Kyungsoo presses, “Is he still here?”

The girl nods again politely, and Kyungsoo breathes, “Take me to him, please.”

Kyungsoo follows the girl into the dark narrow hallway, and it reveals a larger room with closed off tables. Kyungsoo read about it in Baekhyun’s blog. The closed off tables create a close atmosphere between patrons to relax into the nourishment that provides their independent path for enlightenment. It’s designed well with pale yellow lights and enough light from the outside to feel the natural sun light. 

There aren’t many people in the section, except for the blonde tips in the back. Kyungsoo can feel his blood boil as he approaches closer. The girl leaves him, and Kyungsoo travels the dangerous path on his own, eyes dead set on Baekhyun’s mouth around a white cup. Kyungsoo slips into the booth across from Baekhyun’s table and sits in the belly of the beast.

Baekhyun blinks surprised at Kyungsoo’s appearance, but it slowly simmers into a confused little smile. He sets his cup down. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“You’re easy to find, especially when you put it on social media,” Kyungsoo shrugs, and the anger isn’t coming across at all. He doesn’t want to cause a scene, and there’s nowhere for him to run either. He’s in Baekhyun’s territory now.

Baekhyun blinks and his smile turns flat and sunk in. He’s cold and his eyes flick down to the white cup, “I thought you made it clear that you were angry with me. Are you going to fight me now?”

Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens, and he stares directly at Baekhyun, “I hope not.”

Baekhyun stares back now, “That sounds like a threat.”

“I just want to act like adults,” Kyungsoo shrugs. He’s leading an assault. “Even though some of us don’t.”

Baekhyun frowns, “You’re saying I’m childish? That’s funny, I thought tantrums came from children.”

That hurt, and Kyungsoo is ready to fire again. “You’re the one that lies to my face.”

Baekhyun scrunches his face, “I’ve never lied.”

“Yes. Yes, you have. In every single review about my restaurant and me,” Kyungsoo is growing frustrated, and now the true evil head sprouts. He raises his voice, but it’s uncontrollable. He’s so close.

Baekhyun scoffs, “You mean criticisms? Those aren’t lies, those are my opinions and I’m entitled to—”

“No! It’s goddamn slander is what it is,” Kyungsoo shouts, feeling the anger rush up in his face. It’s scary how it escalated so quickly, but Kyungsoo hasn’t felt this fired up in a long time. “You’ve run my restaurants rating to the ground and dragged me in the mud. And I know you’re lying when you say I have no talent. You read me your monologue about my mac and cheese – about my life – and yet you flip it and make me look like an overrated, untalented asshole. Did you make that nice review in front of me to play me or what? What do you have against me? Or do just like being a two-faced dick –”

“Excuse me, sir. You need to leave.”

Kyungsoo blinks, and all of a sudden the owners of the café are at their table. He feels like he blacked out and now his anger settles into devastation. Now he’s a public embarrassment.

“Ah, no he’s okay. We’re okay,” Baekhyun swoops in with his little smile, ushering them away.

“Are you sure?” They look skeptical, and Kyungsoo is mad at himself for yelling in a very spiritual place. Like any small restaurant, it’s their home. Kyungsoo should know this the most. 

“Yes. He’ll have a chamomile cup,” Baekhyun orders, but they are still rooted. “Please.”

They finally walk away, but their eyes still watch Kyungsoo. Meanwhile, Kyungsoo tries his best to breathe and take care of the situation. He sees his fists on the table clenched and he wonders when he slammed the table. 

Across the way, Baekhyun looks very guilty. He’s too quiet and he looks too sad. The haughtiness he waved around in Kyungsoo’s restaurant is nowhere to be found. It only adds to Kyungsoo’s claim. The Baekhyun in his restaurant and this one are not the same. One personality is the fake. 

The tea comes forward in a similar white cup and it’s steaming. The herbs reach Kyungsoo’s nose and wake him. He grumbles, “I don’t need tea.”

Baekhyun gently says, “Chamomile is calming –”

“I don’t need to calm down,” Kyungsoo grumbles, shutting his eyes because he feels heat in his cheeks from anger. He breathes for a couple of beats, deep and easy. He hasn’t had anger swell up and burst out of him like that. He felt like he was defending his own life and value. Kyungsoo has never felt so weak and exposed.

“I’m sorry,” Baekhyun breathes, and it sounds nice. He looks toned down. He’s gloomy, but it looks like genuine guilt. He grips his white cup. “It got out of hand and I acted selfishly.”

Baekhyun picks up his gaze, and they look to each other. There isn’t unnerving tension, just guilt between parties. It’s uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry.”

-

If you thought Kyungsoo was busy before, he had everyone thinking again. During the fall to winter months, he’s jam packed with dinner reservations and fall specialties. It’s stressful to get the menus out and approved, but he likes the experimentation he has in the kitchen with fall spices. Unfortunately, despite resolving out a lot of anger against Baekhyun, the man left an impact. Kyungsoo feels dragged out and every bite of his own dishes has him second guessing himself. He’s been confident throughout his career, mainly from the praise of others, and critiques would never bother him much. But Baekhyun left a deep, festering cut.

“Fuck,” Kyungsoo swears, throwing the dish of pumpkin squash puree across the counter in the early morning. He’s frustrated with the turn out, thoughts spilling in his head of disgusting tastes and his integrity in disbelief. 

He takes a few slow breaths and it calms his ramming heart. Chanyeol’s shoes tap against the floor quickly. The Sous Chef takes a good look at Kyungsoo and asks, “You good?”

“Try it,” Kyungsoo points to the trashed pumpkin puree that’s dangling on the counter. He’s hoping that telepathy will suddenly emerge and the dish will tip and shatter. Good riddance.

Chanyeol picks the dish up and swipes the puree into his mouth. He savors the texture in his mouth, and his hums increase in volume. Chanyeol grins, “It’s not complete shit.”

Kyungsoo bangs his head to the counter and Chanyeol lets out an unattractive snort, “The hell is wrong with you? You hate it when I compliment your food, so of course I’m going to say it’s shit!”

Kyungsoo turns his head to the side and mumbles, “I need it straight.”

Chanyeol widens his eyes in disbelief, “Kyungsoo. It’s amazing.”

Kyungsoo sighs, cheek rested against a cutting board. He picks himself up and spoons out another serving of pumpkin puree. He’s going through the motions, and even though the taste is confirmed, it just doesn’t settle well with him. 

“Thanks. I just needed to confirm,” He says, but then inspects it again with his tongue. It’s flavorful and has an edge of spice that tickles his taste buds.

Chanyeol takes out the chicken to make the stock for another dish, but he’s staring at Kyungsoo incredulously, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Kyungsoo puts it to rest and scratches the back of his head. “What do I make with this?”

Chanyeol blinks, “What’s the theme?”

“It will be Indian and Mexican.”

Chanyeol hums, and in a minute, comes up with, “Empanadas, or curry. Or just a pumpkin cake for dessert.”

That night, when Kyungsoo debuts the pumpkin empanadas, it’s an absolute hit. Compliments are showered against Kyungsoo like rain in the tropics, but there’s no alleviation for Kyungsoo. He can smile well, and Chanyeol can wrap an arm around his shoulder, but Kyungsoo doesn’t feel it. He doesn’t really understand it himself, but he endures it. When he goes home, he sobs.

-

Baekhyun hasn’t come back to the restaurant in a while. Kyungsoo gets restless just thinking about it. He even checks Baekhyun’s social media and runs through his blog every morning. He’s obsessed, and he’s not even sure why. He wakes to check Baekhyun’s smiling profile picture, and Kyungsoo cannot rest until he’s gone through Baekhyun’s day as a reviewer.

There’s a post that he likes to look at a lot. Baekhyun visited a farm in upstate New York, and he learned about growing crops and using animals. He has pictures of him with gloves uprooting carrots and potatoes. The best pictures are the ones where Baekhyun is taking selfies with baby goats. There’s a shutter collage of him smiling with a baby goat above him on a haystack, in the next is it eating Baekhyun’s hair, and then slowly turns into Baekhyun getting pummeled by the baby goat in the face.

It’s cute and Baekhyun smiles radiantly, but the thing that gets him the most is the story behind it. Baekhyun’s blog is full of stories. There’s meaning behind every place Baekhyun goes. The one on the farm tells the story of the family that owns the farm. They are dependent on themselves for food, and they work hard to get it. Baekhyun stepped into their shoes for a week and dedicated himself to their lifestyle. He’s a nutritionist, foodie, and a journalist. 

Kyungsoo hasn’t entirely pinned down Baekhyun yet, but he’s learned that humans are more complicated than food. He doesn’t know for certain, but he would like to believe that Baekhyun is the man eating his macaroni and cheese and drinking chai in Manhattan, and not the pompous dirt bag reviewer at _The New York Times_.

Tonight’s specials are a warm, hearty tomato soup with toasted gourmet grilled cheese – an American classic, and pork ramen with a Kyungsoo twist. The theme coincides with New York’s freezing temperature drop. It needs a wholesome drink or warm broth to cheer his patrons up. 

The night is very successful and manageable. There was only a party of ten that showed up for a reunion, but otherwise was perfectly content. Kyungsoo only swore ten times in the night, and that’s a success for any day.

Toward the end of the night, just when the kitchen is ready to clean and close, Kyungsoo watches from his secret hallway. The night is dark and cold, and the white cleanliness of the restaurant creates a wintery cold effect. On the other side, it reminds people the clean and fresh starts. The décor is neutral because people fill their experiences within it. Their enjoyment of cultures is on their taste buds and memories are made with loved ones. The point is to take someone else’s story and share it with the world.

Kyungsoo squints to see one lone person slumped over the bar, and Jongdae is tending to him closely. Kyungsoo feels his body pull forward, and he’s out in the sea. As he steps closer to the bar, he can see the patrons shoulders violently shaking and he hears drunken sobs coming from the male. 

“It’s all your fault,” the patron sobs, wiping his cheeks and downing the wine in his glass. “God, I hate you. You suck.”

Kyungsoo approaches slowly, and catches Jongdae’s attention. The bartender is a deer in headlights, and audibly gasps when the chef approaches, “Kyungsoo!”

“Shit,” the patron bangs his head on the bar and wraps his arms around his dark hair. He whines, “Ugh, no.”

Kyungsoo looks between the whining patron and Jongdae, but doesn’t get much from them except it’s shocking to both of them that the chef stepped in. He looks seriously to Jongdae, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing! Just go,” the patron releases the arm nearest to Kyungsoo to drunkenly push the chef away. Instead, his hands just drags against Kyungsoo’s front and drops off. The patron sniffles, “Sorry.”

Kyungsoo squints at his face once it’s revealed, and he recognizes it, even with the red flush of crying and drinking. “Baekhyun?”

He spins his finger and then points to the top of his head, “Yup, one and only royal fuck up – right here.”

Kyungsoo ponders for a moment and then blinks to Jongdae, “What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s upset,” Jongdae sucks his lips in. Kyungsoo frowns.

“Clearly.”

They both look at the now brunette Baekhyun who’s a sobbing mess. Kyungsoo’s heart, while it might be tough, feels for Baekhyun. Unfortunately, Kyungsoo has also felt that deep sadness, but in the comfort of his own home. It’s uncontrollable drunken sobs that just fall because life is hard. 

And then Baekhyun starts laughing. He’s in hysterics, and Jongdae and Kyungsoo just look at each other in confusion. After sad laughter dies, and Baekhyun wipes his face. He’s got a sad look in his eyes, all rimmed in red. He mumbles, “I came in here like I was the shit. I think I was just trying to get laid.”

But his demeanor changes from sad to a flit of drunken anger towards Jongdae, “But you fucked me over!”

“Me?” Jongdae yells out defensively. Kyungsoo stares at him, determined to get something out of Jongdae. The bartender hesitates, _are you really sure_ , and then breathes calmly, “All I said was that Kyungsoo doesn’t like it when guys say they like his food. I didn’t think you’d take it so literally!”

The two bicker about the supposed conversation, and Kyungsoo is left stranded. That’s when Chanyeol comes in with a resounding yawn. He’s just surprised there’s such a commotion between Jongdae and Baekhyun, he didn’t even know that they knew each other.

He yells, “What kind of K-drama plot line did you pull out here? _Really_? How did this end up being a love story?”

Kyungsoo is just off in his own world. He’s just as surprised as anyone else that Baekhyun was just actually looking for a little bit of love. Kyungsoo won’t say it aloud, but Baekhyun looks in weird places for love. In a million years, Kyungsoo would have never thought that someone like Baekhyun would actually like to be with someone like Kyungsoo. 

And it’s a sad reality too. Baekhyun was Kyungsoo’s worst nightmare, and the feeling is lingering still. Yet, it was exactly what Baekhyun wanted. He wanted Kyungsoo’s attention, and a normal old reviewer doting on his food wouldn’t cut it. It’s clever, but unrealistic. Baekhyun mentally fucked Kyungsoo over hard. There were days that Kyungsoo wanted to quit, shut down the restaurant, and live with his parents. 

“I almost quit because of you,” Kyungsoo says flatly and directly toward the brunette. Silence hovered around the crew. It’s almost deafening, but a bombshell like that is too hard to come back from.

Baekhyun hiccups. With tears prickling at his eyes, he says, “I really am sorry.”

It turns into another sob, and Jongdae and Chanyeol try to comfort him. All Kyungsoo can think about is the baby goat pictures. Baekhyun getting his face stomped across and head butted are the little lights that make life happy for the moment. But there’s also the photos of Baekhyun working on the farm all day, and how he’s almost too exhausted to eat. There’s the days that Baekhyun pulled out rotten or soiled plants and couldn’t eat for the next day. He shares the ugly days too, and that’s what makes life so real. That’s what makes Baekhyun real. He’s a story teller, just like Kyungsoo.

And this is one of the bad days, but a lesson learned.

Jongdae sighs, “I’ll take him home. But you guys should talk later.”

Kyungsoo nods and watches Jongdae haul Baekhyun out into the chilly night.

-

A week later, the streets of New York City are covered in snow from a freak Nor’easter. It’s nice when it’s a cute, slow chunky snow fall where you can see the snowflakes and call it a miracle. But this is hell on Earth. The snow is coming down in frosty machine gun rounds and the wind whips them directly into your skin. The snow plows meld the white pristine snow into rocky, grey mush and it looks dismal. Winter is such a bitch.

Kyungsoo is dragged to the lower side of Manhattan again, but the walk feels extra cold with the harsh winds in Kyungsoo’s eyes. His scarf is barely keeping his face warm because the wind wants to undress him. His jeans are wet and chilled and now icicles that are stiff to walk in. He can’t believe he’s putting up with all this just for a meeting.

Once Kyungsoo gets inside the little shop, he unravels himself and stomps out residual snow. He grumbles, “Really? I can’t believe I came all the way here in snow just for this guy.”

“Hello?” Kyungsoo turns around to be faced with the owner of the shop, and she falters. “Ah, it’s you again.”

Kyungsoo tries to blush, “Yes. I’m really sorry for my behavior last time. It was uncalled for.”

The woman sizes up Kyungsoo and then pulls him to the back, “You boys will not fight again.”

“No, ma’am,” Kyungsoo replies, following her to the back where he can see a little brunette in the back, surprisingly, in the same spot. It’s déjà vu. Baekhyun is sipping from a white cup, and Kyungsoo slips in. The breeze from his entry surprises Baekhyun and he’s stumbling for words. He settles for a smile, exhales the held breath, and says, “What a pleasant—”

“Surprise. Yeah, no. Not this shit again,” Kyungsoo exclaims, and it’s got Baekhyun shrunken two times smaller in his seat. Kyungsoo presses a little gentler, “I can’t believe you dragged me out here on a blizzard. Are you crazy?”

“Eh, it’s the North East. The weather is always screwed up,” Baekhyun shrugs, and then sips his drink. “You came, didn’t you? That says something.”

Kyungsoo shrugs and accepts it. When the owners come around, Kyungsoo orders a dirty chair. They give him a skeptical look, but Baekhyun reassures them with a gently curved smile. Kyungsoo noticed their doting on Baekhyun before, and when they return with the chai, they make sure Baekhyun is comfortable.

When they leave, Kyungsoo takes a careful sip and says, “They really like you.”

“They’re like my New York parents. They were the first people to help me when I came to New York. I looked like a sad puppy out in the rain, and they gave me tea and a place to stay. I spent several nights here,” Baekhyun looks fondly at his own tea, and then back to Kyungsoo. He smiles reminiscing the past. “This is where I got the idea for my blog.”

Kyungsoo can only imagine. His hardships were finding an apartment to live in, but he had close friends living in New York, so there wasn’t a lot of adjusting to do. It sounds like Baekhyun just packed up his bags and left.

Kyungsoo sips again. He speaks softly, “So, why are we here again?”

Baekhyun cradles his tea cup and bravely exhales, “I want us to start fresh.”

Kyungsoo tenses, “The reviews are still on the _Times_ website—”

“I asked for them to remove my review column,” Baekhyun says seriously. Kyungsoo almost spits his drink out.

“But that’s your job. And you threw it away?” Kyungsoo looks at him doubtfully.

“I am a nutritionist, not a reviewer. I will provide nutritional services and advice wherever I’m needed,” Baekhyun states, hands still around his cup. “Besides, reviewing places was hard. I had to make sure to hit certain criteria, and my editor always cut out my ‘flowy language’. Plus, most of what I said is purely arbitrary and sometimes not even my own opinion.”

Kyungsoo breathes a laugh, “You can say that again.”

Baekhyun chuckles to himself, but then returns to the small, warm smile perched on his lips. He looks angelic in this lighting. 

Baekhyun’s eyes are pleading, “Will you give me a second chance?”

Kyungsoo sighs, weighing his options. He’s not one to hold grudges, but he is a busy guy. People flow in and out of his life, and maybe that’s why he feels so guilty when he can’t see his poor mother. Baekhyun broke his spirit, and yet enlightened him at the same time. Life is cruel in its lessons, and he’s sure it would be a story to tell, no matter how it ended. A chance is spontaneous –

Kyungsoo playfully puts up a finger, “This is it though.”

Baekhyun finally breathes, a grin spreading across his face at the answer. It turns cheeky, “I won’t listen to Jongdae this time.”

Kyungsoo hums around his drink, “Good thinking.”

“I’ll woo you over myself,” Baekhyun says mischievously, eyes set on the challenge. 

“I’d like to see you try,” Kyungsoo snorts, even though he knows Baekhyun already has him.

“Just be ready for this day,” Baekhyun shows the day on his phone calendar, and Kyungsoo marks it immediately for his day off.

-

Kyungsoo’s ringer goes off early in the morning, something a little jarring since it’s before his usual alarm. Kyungsoo blinks into clarity and squints at his phone. He sighs, “What?”

“Today’s the day!” Baekhyun screeches a little too loudly. Kyungsoo holds his phone out a little farther away and tosses in his bed.

“It’s 5 am,” Kyungsoo whines, head colliding with his pillow.

“That means that we’re 5 hours late already,” Baekhyun chuckles into the receiver, and it’s kind of relaxing. Kyungsoo feels himself drifting back to sleep. “You’re still on for today?”

“Mhm,” Kyungsoo hums into his pillow, eyes closed and ready to fall back asleep. His throat cracks slightly, “You’re nervous.”

Baekhyun laughs gently, “Yeah, a little. I’ve been thinking of all the ways I could get stood up today.”

Kyungsoo hums again, a little sadly, “Don’t worry. I keep my promises.”

Kyungsoo can feel Baekhyun’s smile radiating across the phone with just the slightest breath of relief. He’s calmed, “So do I.”

A couple hours later, Kyungsoo dresses and heads to the directions that Baekhyun has given him. It’s this little square market in Queens. It’s full of fine dining and establishments, and they are probably within some of Baekhyun’s reviews. 

The journey up to Queens isn’t that long, and once he finally arrives to the market, stomach empty upon request, Baekhyun is nowhere to be found. The market isn’t that big, and it’s not hard to sot another Asian man in this part of town, but he simply cannot find the guy. With Baekhyun’s morning call, Kyungsoo thought that there was no chance of being stood up.

“Sorry!” a voice rings through the market, bouncing off of walls. Around the corner, Baekhyun comes whipping by with two Styrofoam cups and a bright, brilliant smile. Kyungsoo pushes off the wall and intercepts him. Baekhyun grins, “Had to start the day off right. Black.”

Baekhyun hands him the coffee and Kyungsoo carefully drinks it. It’s a déjà vu moment once again, and Kyungsoo’s pretty sure the other did it on purpose. Baekhyun still sips it and pulls on his beanie. He looks to the market and his eyes glow, “It’s a bit chilly here, don’t you think?”

“A little,” Kyungsoo replies with a shiver. It’s definitely warmer than a blizzard, but it’s still pretty chilly. However, all the snow melted away in the temperature high last week. North East weather really is unpredictable. 

There’s a few people walking by, mostly with big hand bags or glitzy watches. It’s the richer part of the city that gets bribed critiques for their overpriced rib eyes and salmon. Kyungsoo could make it better and cheaper.

“This is where my first job was in New York. I was an undergraduate at Queens College and I was a bus boy for a cozy little noodle house,” Baekhyun shivers at the brutal wind. “It’s been knocked down though, and replaced with a Dunkin Donuts.”

Baekhyun sounds sad about it, and the silence between them is awkward. Clearly Baekhyun likes to share, but Kyungsoo doesn’t necessarily want to give away everything. He indirectly shares, like how he tells stories through his cooking. But if the day keeps going like this, Kyungsoo doesn’t know if he can handle much more.

Kyungsoo sips again, trying to break the tension. “Did we come here for this, or…?”

Baekhyun blinks and then smiles, “No. I just wanted to get shit coffee.”

Kyungsoo feels his wrist get tugged along and Baekhyun’s dragging him out into the next block. Kyungsoo catches up and walks alongside the other, who flashes a grin as they walk farther down the sidewalk. Kyungsoo really doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into – especially when he really poked at his pudge this morning.

“Any places you’re dying to see?” Baekhyun tosses the bland coffee in the trash closest to them. Kyungsoo throws his out too, and Baekhyun laughs. 

Kyungsoo squints to the grey skies, and he thinks it’s going to rain. He nestles into his coat and gives the brunette a pointed stare, “Wasn’t this your idea?”

Baekhyun looks sheepishly to the ground and kicks a newspaper ball on the ground. “It takes two to tango.”

“But you’re trying to ‘woo’ me, or whatever,” Kyungsoo kicks the same ball back and it turns into a soccer match between two pairs of cold feet. “So, really, it’s just you dancing by yourself. You’re just trying to convince me to dance with you.”

Baekhyun tilts his head, and the newspaper ball flings into the street. He smiles, “Okay, you’ve got a point.”

They walk down into the subway station, Kyungsoo following him in tow. He’s a little ticked that they traveled all the way to Queens to get Dunkin – there’s like a thousand in Times Square – but he doesn’t have much else to do today besides be led around. He figures that maybe he’ll get a kick out of Baekhyun’s attempts.

They enter the car and sit in chilly seats. Baekhyun slips his backpack off his shoulders and rummages through its contents. From what Kyungsoo can hear, there’s paper, but not much else. It’s not a big backpack. 

“Before we start…,” Baekhyun says (and Kyungsoo gets hit for groaning), and then pulls out a tiny spray bottle filled with a clear liquid. He hands it to Kyungsoo like he’s handing him a coffee. “You need this.”

Kyungsoo inspects it carefully, confusion written on his face. He tosses it over in his hands, the liquid sloshing along the innards. It’s not very big, but it’s a little concerning that Baekhyun just normally has a spray bottle in his backpack. He perks a bow, “Why?”

“To drink, of course,” Baekhyun blinks, like this was done since the beginning of time. Kyungsoo blinks right back at him, and then a grin grows on his face. He laughs, “Kidding – goodness, take a joke.”

Kyungsoo still looks unsure and Baekhyun quickly turns it in his hands. He presents it, “It’s a gift. I give you God’s almighty powers to shut me up when I’m unbearable.”

Baekhyun squeezes the trigger, and out sprays a little mist of the liquid. Kyungsoo accepts the bottle back, and he just stares at it. It’s odd, he thinks. It’s like Baekhyun can read his thoughts, because he shoves him a little.

“Mom used to do it, but, you know, for parenting. It shut me up for a little bit, but only because I finally got something to cool me. San Francisco was always too hot for me,” Baekhyun is reminiscing again, but it feels even weirder in Kyungsoo’s position. It just feels weird to hold this power over Baekhyun, especially in a public outing. 

Baekhyun shrugs, feeling Kyungsoo’s insecurities about the object. “I know what you’re thinking: isn’t that kind of demeaning for an adult? Yeah, maybe a little, but it’s not going to trigger me back to childhood – if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Kyungsoo turns it over again. Baekhyun sighs, “It’s different. I thought you might appreciate me trying to not make this date boring.”

“Date?” Kyungsoo chuckles, but Baekhyun still awaits a response. Kyungsoo looks at the spray bottle one more time before setting it aside next to him. He gives Baekhyun a small smile, “I’ll keep it on me. Just in case.”

From then, Baekhyun shines brighter than a star.

At the surface, they land in Manhattan and get off just in time for lunch. Baekhyun leads them down town to a Halal cart stationed right outside some offices. There’s a little bit of a line, but Baekhyun smiles his way through it and graciously takes the piping hot gyros. Kyungsoo wants to take a bite, but Baekhyun is pulling him away too fast.

They end near a little park and Baekhyun finally plops down on a bench. Once Kyungsoo settles, he takes in the view. It’s a nice little park, with trees to take you out of the grey skyscraper landscape. There’s families passing by and children leaning against the water fountain. It’s a nice, breezy little escape. 

Baekhyun hungrily takes an enormous bite from his aluminum covered gyro and makes these aggressive noises that no one normal would even chance. He’s got a pleased expression on his face, eyes closed and pleased little squeals – simply ecstatic as he finally swallows. It’s a quite a journey, but Baekhyun comes out absolutely trashed, “I feel like I could die happy now.”

Kyungsoo will be the judge of that. He takes a bite of his own, teeth shredding the most tender meat he’s ever gotten from a cart. There’s an explosion of Middle Eastern spices in the marinated meat. The fresh vegetables give crunch and texture to the melty meat. The flatbread is warm, but what makes the dish is the special white sauce. It’s creamy and provides relief from the extraordinary flavor travel. 

Kyungsoo hums in delight, “I’m impressed.”

Baekhyun laughs and then bumps his shoulder into him. Kyungsoo is rigid against it, but Baekhyun doesn’t seem to notice. Baekhyun grins, “I thought I’d never hear those words.”

They sit and eat their delicious lunch. Kyungsoo continues to watch the people passing by. There’s one kid that’s running his fingers through the water fountain and splashes some birds that perched on the fountains edge. His mother scolds him, turns around, and then the boy is back at it again. It’s endearing and childish. There’s hardly any repercussions – he’s just simply being inquisitive and playing a game. 

There’s an elderly couple sitting on a bench across from the fountain, and they are packing up their things. They sat together for twenty minutes, hands interlaced, and dreamy smiles sprouted on their wrinkled mouths. They only spoke a couple words to each other during their time together, but it didn’t seem like it was needed. They seemed comfortable in each other’s company to just sit and breathe.

Another man sits alone, his mouth dipped into a frown suggests that he’s a hit a low. His breath is stagnant and his mouth bites into a grimace when he looks at his phone. Before Kyungsoo knows it, the man storms off. Kyungsoo’s eyes follow the strange man all the way out of the park.

“Do you like this?”

Kyungsoo blinks, “Ah, yeah. The gyro is good. Thank you.”

Baekhyun chuckles lightly and shakes his head, “I meant being here, in the park.”

“Oh,” He recognizes, and then collects himself. He looks back to the fountain and watches the boy’s mom drag him away by the wrist. “I enjoy people watching.”

“Me too,” Baekhyun looks to the fountain with him. His eyes are simmering with a kindness. “It’s relaxing to see someone else’s day.”

Kyungsoo is silent, but his head is swelled with something powerful. He’s not sure why, but he admits, “It’s an escape from your own life.”

Baekhyun nods at the statement, silence encompassing both. Soon, Baekhyun is twitching in agitation next to him. Kyungsoo can feel Baekhyun radiating a flurry of energy that he’s holding in quite well. It’s kind of cute to see him trying to control himself.

Kyungsoo smiles, just to release him, “When I was traveling, I used to play a game. I would create a story for each passerby based on their outward emotions. Even their body language.”

Kyungsoo leans in a subtly points toward the fountain where a woman is being led by an aggressive little Golden Retriever puppy who desperately wants to drink the fountain water. Baekhyun’s eyes instantly go to the puppy and he coos.

“That woman received that puppy as a gift …,” Kyungsoo pauses to watch more. The woman ultimately gives up, crouches to the puppy and ruffles its furry body with a giant smile on her face. The puppy gives her giant licks and nestles in her scratches. “… maybe a rescue. She’s never had a dog before, but she’s trying her hardest. She loves it.”

Baekhyun tilts his head and squints, “It’s got stitches on the side of its neck – must be a rescue, or something that needed care for.”

Baekhyun blinks and then grins in delight, “I like this.”

Kyungsoo points over toward the other side and Baekhyun follows his finger. “What about them?”

There’s a man dressed in office attire sitting on a bench and a phone in his hand. Baekhyun releases, “He’s an office worker on lunch break.”

“Go into more depth. Look at his body language. Bring him to life,” Kyungsoo encourages, hinting at the subtle cues. Baekhyun looks back once more and pauses to watch. It takes a couple of minutes of watching, but that’s the process that Kyungsoo loves. In a snapshot, you can get an overview, but in a few moments, a story with unfold.

Baekhyun pauses, takes a breath, and then says slowly, “He’s upset. He has to stay late at the office tonight. He’s going to miss his daughters dance recital tonight – he’s got a picture of her in his wallet.”

When Baekhyun turns back, his mood is somber and cloudy. He leaves his head down for a couple of seconds, breathes, and then picks it back up to meet Kyungsoo. He seems a little distraught, “That’s sad.”

“Life is sad sometimes,” Kyungsoo replies. It’s a little deep, even for him, but he has to acknowledge it. He pats Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Not everyone is happy at every moment. But you’re narrative for the man reflects your own ability to imagine others happiness and pain. I think that’s really perceptive of you.”

Baekhyun bites his lip a little shyly. He lets out a little light laugh, “That’s a little philosophical for a first date, hm?”

Kyungsoo bows his head down away from Baekhyun when he can feel a blush across his face. God, it’s been forever since he’s been on a date, and he already feels like he’s hit rock bottom. He doesn’t want to talk about himself, but when he speaks, it just comes out like a professor’s answer. It’s awkward for him, but he just can’t match up with Baekhyun’s upbeat tempo. 

He feels a reassuring warm hand on top of his. Baekhyun’s voice is gentle, and just a bit of teasing gleams, “Hey, that’s okay. I know I just kind of share my life to whomever, but I know that not everyone is like that. If you’ll let me, I’d like to get to know you at your pace.”

Kyungsoo isn’t sure what to say, so he sits in silence with his head down for a couple more beats. Baekhyun lets his hand go, and stretches. 

“A man with another dog just bumped into a woman. It looks like they know each other, but haven’t seen each other in a while,” Baekhyun starts. Kyungsoo slowly lifts his head and searches with his eyes to watch the scene. When he spots it, he notices the man with a larger breed dog and the woman’s Golden Retriever puppy wants to play. Baekhyun hums dotingly, “He loves her a lot. Or maybe, he loved her a lot. This just re-sparked the feelings.”

Kyungsoo notices it too. The way the man’s face is contorted into a gorgeous smile once he recognizes her is just too obvious. The way that he still nervously shuffles like he did in high school gives it away. Yet, love up close like that is invisible to the doted one. The woman doesn’t know.

Baekhyun laughs and it’s radiant, “I just hope the dogs get to play together! That’s a better story.”

They continue comfortably watching people for a couple of hours. It doesn’t feel like it. Most things that are enjoyable don’t. Kyungsoo finds himself chuckling more at Baekhyun’s stupid jokes, or his outrageous claims. It’s different. He never expected for Baekhyun to understand him, or even want to understand him. It’s actually quite nice. 

“Oh my God, this is so embarrassing. I can’t watch,” Baekhyun squeals, hands covering his eyes. Kyungsoo is absolutely cringing on his seat, but he can’t help but watch. A couple just got into a heated argument and stormed off their separate ways. It was comical, the woman cheated on the guy with ‘Mark’, and the guy ended up cheating with ‘Mark’ too. Doubly cringey.

Once the man starts storming off, he almost trips on himself, and Kyungsoo can’t contain himself. He starts laughing hysterically, hands covering his mouth as he watches the situation unfold. Baekhyun joins along, laughter bright and sunny, even if he doesn’t know exactly at what. It’s contagious and makes Kyungsoo’s heart leap.

Once they simmer down, Baekhyun finally pops the question, “What would people think of us?”

Kyungsoo pauses. He looks in between them to find about a couple inches between them still. They aren’t close, but they have started laughing and they share smiles. 

“They’ll think we’re friends. Maybe we had a falling out somewhere, but we’re trying to mend something,” Kyungsoo tilts his head when he sees a mischievous smirk perch on his lips. Suddenly, Baekhyun face edges closer, lips behind his turned away cheek. His lips press daintily against his ear lobe, making Kyungsoo shiver in his frozen place.

“What will they think of that?” Baekhyun whispers haughtily, breath tickling Kyungsoo’s ear. He pulls away, tilted head mocking Kyungsoo. He’s begging for the answer, teasing Kyungsoo to move.

Kyungsoo automatically sprays Baekhyun in the face with the mini spray bottle, and the other is shocked. With his mouth gaped, he stares at Kyungsoo in defeat and in surprise. He wipes his face with his jacket sleeve, but no words are coherent enough to respond to.

Kyungsoo smiles devilishly, “They’ll think we’ve got a fetish or something after the water spray.”

Baekhyun pouts, and Kyungsoo takes the opportunity to stand and stretch. He’s ready to leave, and he waves Baekhyun over, “Come on. Let’s do whatever you want.”

“Really?” Baekhyun asks, jumping to his feet and peering up at the sky. “It’s been a couple of hours and it’s getting dark.”

Baekhyun practically runs to catch up to Kyungsoo. He’s got a gigantic smile on his face, comparable to the size of the moon. Baekhyun swings an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulders, “When’s the last time you went out?”

Kyungsoo stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Summer?”

Baekhyun doesn’t say much, instead, he snickers and Kyungsoo relaxes into Baekhyun’s excessive touch. Baekhyun grins, “Don’t worry. I’m an expert at the night life here.”

Baekhyun swings out his phone, and does a quick Google search. He’s much more boastful and confident. He swings Kyungsoo toward the upper side and says, “Before that, we’ll need to do something cool and eat.”

Kyungsoo follows, allowing Baekhyun to take him throughout his world. Kyungsoo thinks it’s very nice of Baekhyun to be so accommodating, and Kyungsoo hopes that this truly is Baekhyun. He’s very gentle, and he actively tries to get Kyungsoo to laugh or smile. He is really loud, though, and he’s very confident in himself. He’s a mixed bag of tricks, and Kyungsoo is intrigued.

They end up going to a comedy club. It’s a dive bar with a stage for some low life acts, but it isn’t bad – especially with a two drink minimum. Kyungsoo and Baekhyun just end up laughing along anyway to first time comedians, and they absolutely die when a veteran comes up and roasts the crowd. There’s a few directed towards them, but they laugh anyway (especially when the comedian says to open their eyes, and Baekhyun can’t because he’s crying from laughing). 

Kyungsoo feels the hearty chuckles come easier, even if Baekhyun is falling over from laughing and dipping into his shoulder. Kyungsoo usually freezes up, but he’s become accustom to Baekhyun’s touches. They are just Baekhyun’s way of caring.

The trudge over to a local bar that Baekhyun likes, and wouldn’t you know it, it has dance floor. Kyungsoo doesn’t really feel like dancing, he’s not that confident with himself. Plus he feels underdressed for the occasion, and no amount of Baekhyun whining can pull him into the center. 

“Fine,” Baekhyun whines, but it’s half-hearted because gives a hungry stare to him as he backs into the center. He dances by himself, throwing his arms up, jumping to the bass kicking in the speakers. Kyungsoo watches from the bar, leaning himself up with his drink. He’s entranced by Baekhyun. He’s mesmerizing. He’s so bright and confident, yet dumb in all the ways. He’s a real shot in the dark and he cares deeply for people he’s sought after. 

Kyungsoo won’t lie, he thought that Baekhyun was just interested in him to get laid. Kyungsoo’s a fiery chef, and Baekhyun a spicy spirit. It would have made a good one-night stand, something Kyungsoo hasn’t had in a while. But things were getting interesting. Baekhyun called this a date, and it wasn’t by mistake. Maybe it’s Kyungsoo’s past, but he didn’t trust Baekhyun enough to actually think that he liked the chef. To be more hard on himself, Kyungsoo doesn’t think he’s worth Baekhyun’s efforts.

Kyungsoo sets his glass down and frowns. Now that’s he’s in this thought tirade, it makes him frustrated. Baekhyun is really handsome. When he’s on the floor, jumping up and down with strangers and singing along to songs like it’s the end of the world, he’s a star. He’s brighter than anyone in the room, and the patrons of the bar can see it. And, now that Kyungsoo’s memorized Baekhyun’s blog and spent the day with him, he knows the guy has good intentions. There’s a creator behind his gorgeous attire and a personality that lights up the room. He’s loud, and obnoxious, but he’s brilliant. And Kyungsoo doesn’t think he can match it.

Kyungsoo pushes himself off the bar and storms off into the upper streets of Manhattan. The cold night wind whips across his face, and it burns his skin. He shoves his hands into his pockets and burrows into his jacket. He’s walking down the street, watching headlights flash by him and listening to the sounds of the city. This is the feeling he’s come to know, the overwhelming chaos of the city and how it’s big enough to make you feel so small.

“Kyungsoo!” 

He hears Baekhyun’s breath behind him, and soon he’s turned to face the desperate man huffing cold air. With Baekhyun’s face screwed in confusion, Kyungsoo knows he’s made a real mess of things now. He goes to turn away, but Baekhyun shouts again, “Do Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo stops, and there’s a siren in the background. Baekhyun smiles too kindly for him, “If you wanted to leave, you could have grabbed me."

Kyungsoo shrugs, “You were having fun.”

“But it’s our night,” Baekhyun steps closer and his arm just naturally slips in Kyungsoo’s space. Their arms are linked, but Kyungsoo’s body doesn’t follow. As a result, Baekhyun gets launched back, and he’s confused. “What?”

Kyungsoo doesn’t want to speak, and he shoves his face more into his jacket. Baekhyun stands, and he looks like he’s ready to fight.

He accent starts to slip out, “I’m not a mind reader, you know.”

Kyungsoo doesn’t want to, it’s too terrifying. And even being cornered in a street is making him flustered. He flushes and quietly, “I don’t deserve you.”

Baekhyun hears it because it’s slowly clicking in his head. He laughs, and it’s infuriating. He blinks doubtfully, “You don’t deserve _me_? Because I really don’t deserve you. I had to beg for a second chance. I thought you hated me, and for a good reason too.”

“I did…I don’t,” Kyungsoo mutters, but his head is a flurry of thoughts that he doesn’t want to say aloud. He’s embarrassed and frustrated. He doesn’t deal with relationships, and he barely has time for his own mom. He lets out a frustrated sigh, “God. This sucks.”

Baekhyun sucks in his lips, and he’s just clinging for dear life. He confesses, “I like you a lot, I really do. You’re different. I never thought that I could get you to laugh, but I did. I peeled back a layer of you. But, I think I just pushed it too much, and now I’m chasing you.”

Kyungsoo feels a little soberer now, and he’s collecting his thoughts. He’s mad at himself for being so anxious about this. He had fun today, but he just feels a terrified knot in his stomach. He’s afraid, and isn’t sure why. Maybe Baekhyun is right – maybe Kyungsoo is running away from being attached. 

But fuck, it’s infuriating because Baekhyun isn’t like that. He did what he wanted, he wooed Kyungsoo over and wormed his way in. Kyungsoo’s been running away from deep attachments since culinary school, but this feels too important to pass. Baekhyun’s standing here, cold and confused, and desperate enough to spend a day with him. 

Kyungsoo breathes. He’s at the edge of a mountain, a step away from decisions. He feels the drop in his stomach, and he can’t stop.

Baekhyun looks to the ground, “We can call it a night, if you want.”

“No,” Kyungsoo says it before he can stop himself, and he brightens. “I want to show you something.”

Baekhyun stares, confused by the sudden change, but welcomes it with a smile. Kyungsoo walks them farther down the street to the recognizable block. It’s the block where the _World Tour_ stands, now lights dim and settling down for the night. From across the street, they see the patrons enjoying their food on crisp white tablecloths and sipping the finest wines. The warm glow of the lights inside radiates into the city’s streets and signals its beauty

_“This is my life,” Kyungsoo says, staring at his beauty from a distance. “It’s a hard job. I don’t have a single day where I don’t think about the restaurant. It consumes me.”_

“But, this is you,” Baekhyun retorts, gesturing to the warm glow. “The restaurant is your biography. It collects all your life stories as your recipes and presentation. They’re beautiful and happy and sad, and so full of life. You say you don’t like to open up, but you essentially published yourself on a street corner.” 

Kyungsoo can see Chanyeol in the front area waiting on guests. He and Jongdae are wonderful friends – some of the closest he’s hand around the world. Even Junmyeon, being his business partner, is a part of his life and his vision. But there’s still a void in Kyungsoo that he feels. 

“You’re smart, though. Only the really perceptive can see how beautiful your art is,” Baekhyun’s serious eyes take a sad dip. His gaze is directly on Kyungsoo. He wavers, “But I feel like you’re a gift that no one truly got to appreciate.” 

It’s quite a blow. Kyungsoo feels a drop in his stomach, and a rise in his throat. His heart is hammering through his chest and he feels like he might explode. 

Baekhyun coughs, “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that.” 

Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, mainly because he thinks he might throw up by the little firecrackers blasting in his stomach. He feels a tingle in his hand, and his arm wraps around Baekhyun’s shoulders. He pushes Baekhyun closer and closer, until their bodies match, and Kyungsoo feels warm. He’s still shaky, but he feels different. 

He doesn’t know why he can’t stop his mouth, because he says, “I’m glad I gave you a second chance.” 

He doesn’t have to look to know Baekhyun is absolutely radiant. He snuggles a little closer, and they watch the pulsating warm glow from the restaurant. 

Kyungsoo jumps off the mountain once again, “Do you want to race to the station?” 

Baekhyun looks at him strangely and blinks, “That’s how you want to end the date?” 

Kyungsoo pulls out the spray bottle from his jacket pocket and sprays Baekhyun in the face for the second time. It comes in handy to really shut Baekhyun up and watch his surprised face. Kyungsoo unwraps himself from Baekhyun and grins as he starts jogging, “Better catch up! 

He can see Baekhyun’s determined little smirk, and they race like crazy. They look crazy, both of them laughing into the night and breathing labored breaths. It’s been a wild day for the both of them, and this feels so freeing to run around like children. People might think they’re crazy, but that’s their story to tell. 

Once they reach the station, they take time to catch their breaths. This easily puts a smile on both of their faces, and Kyungsoo is surprised that his reaches across his face. Baekhyun is absolutely beautiful in this moment, breathless and smiling like an idiot. Kyungsoo thinks that it’s really a blessing that Baekhyun understands all of his complexities. 

The subway is loud with screeching of brakes and Baekhyun’s train is coming up soon. But Baekhyun is still staring at him like it’s the only world he sees. His eyes are shining. He asks suddenly, “Can I kiss you?” 

Kyungsoo’s heart skips, and he nods. He closes his eyes and feels warmth from Baekhyun. The pressure on his lips is lighter and less desperate than Kyungsoo expected. It’s shy, but it’s sweet. It’s indulgent, like the decadent chocolate cake that Baekhyun loves. 

And, as soon as Kyungsoo wants more, the warmth is gone. Kyungsoo opens his eyes, blinks into awareness, and, just like that, Baekhyun is gone. 

\- 

“Thanks for letting me stay over. Sorry it’s kind of short notice. The place I was supposed to stay at over booked,” Baekhyun says with a beanie dangerously balancing on his head and he cries as he lifts his suitcase up the third flight of stairs. He’s broken out into a sweat and whined the whole way up to the apartment. 

Kyungsoo drags the guy up into the room and takes care of the suitcase. “It’s not a problem. I barely live here anyway.”

“Yeah. You’d sleep the restaurant if you could,” Baekhyun laughs, and then face plants into the couch. He snuggles into it and his pleased sigh is muffled into the couch cushions. “Can I take a 10 hour nap?”

Kyungsoo sits on the arm of the couch and threads his fingers through Baekhyun’s now reddish locks. They’re soft and Baekhyun seems to be pleased with the petting because he’s not saying a word. It’s been about a month since their first date (which Baekhyun thought he _#nailedit_ , and then Kyungsoo sprayed water in his face). Kyungsoo feels like he can fall asleep at night with his now tightly packed schedule. There’s not a lot of time for Baekhyun, but when there is, it’s not a disappointment.

Baekhyun is a lot kinder than Kyungsoo would come to expect. Sure, he’s a bit rambunctious and spontaneous at moments, but he’s considerably thoughtful. When Kyungsoo is at work, Baekhyun makes sure to pop in to hand an encouraging note (that Jongdae takes upon himself to read aloud). When Kyungsoo needs Baekhyun to shut up, he’ll simmer down and wiggle his way through it. Kyungsoo has also learned to exceed Baekhyun’s expectations. Kyungsoo has taken a couple of shifts off just to meet Baekhyun for lunch, which was excruciatingly hard for Kyungsoo to do.

Their schedules clash a lot, but Kyungsoo enjoys Baekhyun’s company when he’s not being a brat. And the sex is… (Kyungsoo thinks to the time that Baekhyun sucked down his cock in a dark alleyway). It’s great. 

Kyungsoo continues to smooth Baekhyun’s hair, silk strands scattered on the cushions. He’s gentle, “I’m probably going to be working late all this week.”

He hears Baekhyun _hmph_ , but there’s no way around it. Kyungsoo shoves his head lightly, “You’ll see me in the mornings.”

Baekhyun groans from underneath and brings his head to the side to breathe, “Not even. The vendors want me to be there for 6 am.”

“Well, fish does take prep,” Kyungsoo doesn’t soothe Baekhyun, but makes it up by patting his head again. “We’ll figure something out.”

The next morning, he finds that Baekhyun already left in a scramble with the amount of clothes scattered across his living room. He did say previously that he needed to leave early in order for the brothers to give him time. Baekhyun is doing another blog special, this time on two brothers who own a fishery in Brooklyn. Baekhyun literally immerses himself into the posts, even if it means to come back smelling like fish each night. Kyungsoo is just grateful that his water is running so that Baekhyun can scrub the scent off.

Kyungsoo goes to the restaurant, per usual, and nothing is terribly bad. The lunch rush is still a rush, but the nights crawl. Winter is a hard season. _World Tour_ does get a lot of tourists that need a warm meal in Times Square, but locals don’t usually venture out. 

Chanyeol throws his towel on his shoulder and sighs when he looks out to the ghost town in the dining area. He throws Jongdae a wave, and the bartender almost collapses to the floor out of boredom. The wait staff is lounging around waiting, and Kyungsoo rolls his eyes.

“You better be cleaning or doing something to look busy,” Kyungsoo sternly warns, and that snaps the wait staff back to cleaning. They scurry for mops and sanitizer, and Kyungsoo sighs. Never a dull day for Kyungsoo, that is for sure.

“You’re a little less bitter. What put you in a good mood?” Chanyeol leans over the counter to swipe the surface before plopping his forearms down. Kyungsoo watches as Jongdae does a hop and skip over.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kyungsoo turns away and shrugs.

“Do you…?” Jongdae squints suspiciously. “Is that a bite?”

Kyungsoo instinctively slaps the back of his neck to cover this _impossible hickey_ that Baekhyun left. He told Baekhyun not to do it, but the little shit did it anyway. It’s kind of hard to stop him once he’s got the idea in his head, he’s stubborn like that.

Jongdae lets out an audible gasp, “I knew it! You’ve been fucking.”

Kyungsoo groans while Chanyeol and Jongdae just go at it, going on and on about – well why the hell do they care about his sex life anyway? Is this what people gossip about?

“Well, congrats to the lucky guy. Hope he can compete with the stick up your ass,” Jongdae jokes and Chanyeol is practically dead on the floor from laughing.

Kyungsoo is not sure why, but some of his pride swelled in his chest and made him just brave enough to blurt, “It’s Baekhyun.”

Jongdae gasps again, wide eyed and with a pointed finger, “I told you! A revenge fuck is real.”

Chanyeol seems impressed, but also disappointed, “You really went for that son of a bitch.”

Jongdae nudges him, “Or, you could say, dicked the dick?”

“Ooh! Good one!” Chanyeol cackles, and Kyungsoo can feel his boiling point peaking. But, he breathes.

“We like each other,” Kyungsoo clarifies, and it turns silent. Jongdae and Chanyeol’s laughter simmers into awkward coughs, and then their comments sink in.

“Oh, so like… you guys are together?” Jongdae asks for clarification, and Kyungsoo nods. 

Chanyeol scratches the back of his head nervously, “Oh, then, sorry for shitting on your boyfriend.”

Kyungsoo blinks, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Jongdae and Chanyeol give each other of confused look and then back to Kyungsoo. “Huh?”

Jongdae waves his arms, clearing the air, “Wait. I’m confused. You like each other? And you sleep with each other? And you’re not boyfriends, but you’re exclusive.”

Kyungsoo nods simply, and Jongdae gives up and walks back to his station, “Okay, fine. It must be a new trend with the kids these days.”

Kyungsoo deadpans, “You’re not much older.”

“Shut up,” Jongdae whines, but it’s not effective.

Chanyeol just plainly says, “Well, as long as it makes you tolerable during work, I’m okay with it.”

Kyungsoo gives the Sous Chef a look, “I’m still your boss.”

“Right,” Chanyeol blinks and goes back to scrubbing something.

The days are long, but when Kyungsoo gets back, it’s dark. Kyungsoo tiptoes around his apartment, and squints through the darkness to make out a lump on the couch covered in blankets. Kyungsoo feels his heart warm at the little breaths and coos that Baekhyun makes, and then he tiptoes away.

It’s Thursday, and Kyungsoo makes sure to get the night off. He keeps it a surprise for Baekhyun this whole week, mainly because they’ve only communicated through text this week due to their schedules. When Kyungsoo gets home, he feels relaxed. He stretches out on his couch for the first time in a while and reads a passage of a book that he didn’t finish. Before he knows it, he can hear trudged padding in the hallway and a fumble of keys. 

Kyungsoo slowly gets up to meet the door opening. Baekhyun has his mouth to the floor when he opens the door to meet Kyungsoo. He’s shocked, “What are you doing here? Did you skip work?”

“I took the morning shift,” Kyungsoo leans against the wall of the corridor as Baekhyun trudges into the apartment, slowly taking his shoes off at the narrow corridor. He looks tired from the day, arms dangling by his sides. His focus is elsewhere. “You don’t smell today.”

“Yeah, no fish. I just did some heavy lifting,” even Baekhyun’s eyes drift away, and he’s oddly quiet. But Kyungsoo silently watches as Baekhyun turns back and starts laughing. It’s the kind smile that Kyungsoo likes. “It’s just kind of weird to come home to you.”

Kyungsoo stomach flops like the fish that Baekhyun works with on the docks. He crooks a finger over, and Baekhyun readily obliges with a smile on his lips. The kiss is gentle and sweet, mainly because Baekhyun’s relaxed from a long day. The press goes for a moment, and Baekhyun’s eyes are glossed over, “I like this domestic thing we’ve got here.”

“Are you sure?” Kyungsoo starts to back Baekhyun up into the kitchen, his stare increasingly predatory with each move. Baekhyun plays along, and soon his back hits the refrigerator and he’s trapped between Kyungsoo’s arms. Baekhyun grins at their game and easily falls into Kyungsoo’s trap.

Kyungsoo presses a harder kiss on Baekhyun’s lips and opens his mouth quick. There’s no rest between them, and the make out becomes fiery. Before this, Kyungsoo thought he didn’t need these little moments of passion, but now he craves them. Baekhyun is submissive yet cheeky throughout. 

Baekhyun whines when one of Kyungsoo’s hands openly gropes Baekhyun’s crotch, cupping him through his jeans. He can feel Baekhyun harden underneath the cloth and his fingertips. Kyungsoo moves his kisses down Baekhyun’s soft neck, licking and teasing the sensitive skin. And Baekhyun’s beautiful the way he tilts his head back, eyes closed, and breath absolutely wasted.

After minutes of groping, Kyungsoo decides that it’s time. He turns Baekhyun to bend over the counter space, chest pressed to the laminated top. Kyungsoo unzips Baekhyun’s jeans and strips his legs down so his clothes catch at his ankles. Baekhyun swings his bare ass to Kyungsoo, arching his back to entice him. Kyungsoo smooths one hands down Baekhyun’s back, and the other is prepped with spare lube in one drawer (courtesy of Baekhyun himself). 

All slicked, Kyungsoo inserts one finger into Baekhyun. The other whines at the familiar stretch and bounces a little to suck the digit further inside. Kyungsoo smacks his ass, and Baekhyun blushes at both punishment and reward. Once Baekhyun is ready, Kyungsoo inserts another, and it stretches Baekhyun slow. He’s taking in tiny bated breaths, and it’s hard for Kyungsoo to concentrate when Baekhyun’s being needy. Kyungsoo can already tell that Baekhyun wants to rut against the counter top. 

With some extra encouragement, Baekhyun takes another finger. Just as Kyungsoo dives deeper, he curls the pads at such an angle that makes Baekhyun really cry out. Baekhyun screams, “Fuck!”

And it’s drowned out by moans when Kyungsoo rubs his pad against this spot in dizzying circles. Kyungsoo is dry humping Baekhyun’s leg because his noises get to him, but even in his erotic state, he snaps sensibly, “My walls are thin. The neighbors can probably hear.”

“I can’t help it when I’m getting railed here,” Baekhyun gasps loud, and then a little softer as Kyungsoo stretches his fingers wide within him. Baekhyun looks back, eyes absolutely blown, and his lips caught between a teeth. Kyungsoo likes it when he behaves.

As much as Baekhyun loves a finger fucking, Kyungsoo is getting annoyed with him every time he pushes back. Baekhyun wants more, and Kyungsoo feels his cock deflate from the little interaction it’s gotten. A few more squelching fucks, and Kyungsoo draws his fingers out while Baekhyun draws his own disappoint groan. 

Kyungsoo wipes his fingers with a convenient paper towel and fumbles with his own zipper. He lets his pants and underwear fall past his knees and he kicks them off. It allows Baekhyun to strip his own shirt and kick off his pants. Kyungsoo’s shirt is last to come off, and he’s still a little embarrassed about it. But it doesn’t matter because they’ve had sex too many times for Kyungsoo’s little tummy to be an issue. In fact, Baekhyun really liked how thick his thighs are.

Kyungsoo rubs his cock back to full standing, and he pushes Baekhyun back down so he lays bent at the counter. Kyungsoo drags his cock in between Baekhyun’s cheeks and up his lower back, rutting against his skin. Baekhyun’s lower back is starting to sweat, and Kyungsoo can see Baekhyun tug his own cock to keep his stamina up. Kyungsoo’s teeth are clenched, desperately trying to keep his neighbors out of his sex life.

Also, conveniently, Baekhyun left a couple of condoms in the drawer. Kyungsoo won’t ask why, mainly because he just doesn’t care, but he wonders if Baekhyun just likes having sex in a kitchen. Kyungsoo unwraps the condom while Baekhyun lifts his upper half to watch. He’s got this coy little smile, even though his face is flushed. He turns to face Kyungsoo as he slides the rubber on and applies lube, and he leaves little pecks of kisses on Kyungsoo’s lips, each one lingering longer than the last. But Baekhyun always pulls away right before Kyungsoo wants to delve deeper. 

Kyungsoo takes action, cupping Baekhyun’s jaw just when he wants to pull away from another peck, and Kyungsoo lands his beautifully and fully square of Baekhyun’s lips. It’s hungry and then simmers to gentle, long dizzying kisses. When Kyungsoo finally lets him go, Baekhyun looks absolutely wrecked. When Kyungsoo tells him to bend back down, Baekhyun complies—sated with the angelic kisses.

With reinvigorated desire and consent, Kyungsoo gently presses at Baekhyun’s well stretched hole. Baekhyun breathes hard through his nose and his fingers are at the back edge of the counter at his legs, gripping so hard his knuckles are white. Going past the rim finally relieves some pressure, and both of them can breathe easily. Baekhyun whines when Kyungsoo pushes, pushes, pushes until he’s almost fully seated. And like a tease, Kyungsoo pulls back out gently even if the tightness wants to suck him back in.

Kyungsoo does this rhythm, drawing in and then back out slowly, and it teases Baekhyun like no other. This is Kyungsoo’s revenge for when Baekhyun is annoying, but he always gives in to what Baekhyun wants. Kyungsoo wraps his hands around the dips of Baekhyun’s hips and grasps them tight. Baekhyun gasps, and then chokes a silent groan as Kyungsoo sets a merciless pace. Kyungsoo’s hips jerk forward and back, his thighs slapping Baekhyun’s obscenely loud. The smacks only mix with Baekhyun’s mewls as he tries his hardest to stay quieter for Kyungsoo.

It feels good, and Kyungsoo gets kind of lost in it. He hits a particularly good spot, and Baekhyun shudders and cries out. He props himself on his elbows to match that spot again, but Kyungsoo didn’t like that long cry. Kyungsoo reaches and tugs on a fistful of Baekhyun’s hair, and he pulls him up. Baekhyun’s back arches, and even though Kyungsoo slowed their pace, Baekhyun is still panting.

“Don’t be so loud,” Kyungsoo almost snarls, and he keeps the hold on Baekhyun’s locks for now. He’s now pounding into him at a whole new pace and a whole new angle. It’s deeper and Baekhyun is a mess. His jaw is hung open and he’s choking on every moan. He shuts his eyes so tight, there’s a stream of tears trickling down his cheeks. Baekhyun’s lower back is shining and Kyungsoo watches all his back muscles tighten on each press. It’s absolutely delectable. 

Kyungsoo mouths at Baekhyun’s exposed neck and slows his pace to a roll. Baekhyun can finally take short little breaths and grind back down to meet Kyungsoo. It’s got them both panting hard, Kyungsoo now kissing at Baekhyun’s ear. Kyungsoo slows so much that Baekhyun’s practically bouncing up and down on Kyungsoo’s cock. His breath gets higher pitched until he’s gasping and rolling his eyes back in his head. Kyungsoo continues to kiss his shoulder, noticing the others hand is preoccupied with his own cock.

“I’m close,” Baekhyun gasps, and Kyungsoo pulls out. He spins Baekhyun around, pinning him to the counter so his back hits the edge. Kyungsoo takes off the condom, and both start furiously rubbing out their cocks, stroking fast to reach their peak. It only takes a couple moments to stroke, and Baekhyun gets whiny before he comes in tiny white ropes over his fist. 

All Kyungsoo has to do to get off is to watch Baekhyun’s face contort in pleasure before nerves tingle all the way down to his toes and up into his balls. He groans, and holds Baekhyun’s hip with the other hand. His spurt lands on Baekhyun’s flat stomach and drips down into Kyungsoo’s hand. They breathe with each other, coming down from the high. Their foreheads press together and Kyungsoo still holds Baekhyun’s hip tightly, it’ll surely bruise.

Baekhyun chuckles a little hoarsely, “I felt like you needed that more than I did.” Kyungsoo opens his eyes, now centimeters apart from Baekhyun’s bright eyes. Kyungsoo clears his throat and backs up a little. He glances at the mess between them and seriously says, “I’m just glad it’s not on the counter tops. I just cleaned those.”

Baekhyun snorts and then childishly waves his gross hand above the counter top maybe two inches above it, ready to plant it down. Kyungsoo deepens his frown, “Don’t you dare.”

Kyungsoo steps forward to catch the devilish hand, but slips away by running. He almost trips over his own pile of clothes in the process. Kyungsoo then starts running after him and Baekhyun screams like a little girl (all while being super naked). 

“I’m going to shower—I’ll be clean, I promise!” Baekhyun laughs as he sprints down the hall. 

“Not without me you don’t!” Kyungsoo chases after him, smile wide on his face. He catches Baekhyun in the shower, standing in the tub, and he plants a slow kiss on him. Even though they are filthy, Kyungsoo revels in their romantic little kiss and whispers, “I like being domestic too.”

-

The night is breezy and the high for the night is supposed to be below freezing. Kyungsoo shakes his head at the thousands of people gathered around the square, some not wearing the proper wintery attire for such a grand night.

Kyungsoo ducks his head back into the restaurant and watches as flurries of decorations are placed around and his workers diligently working to complete tonight’s task. There’s a small smile on his face as he pauses, but ultimately Chanyeol snaps him out of it.

“Shrimp?” Chanyeol asks, and he holds a metal bowl of ice and shrimp. Kyungsoo points to a metal tray in the corner. 

“But do it like 5 minutes before appetizers. We don’t want the ice to melt,” Kyungsoo instructs, and then Chanyeol flies onward. Kyungsoo supposes that it’s also his time to join in on the party preparations. He steps back into his kitchen and notices the crew line wrapping hors d'oeuvres. The menu consists of shrimp cocktails, bacon wrapped scallops, asparagus bites, fresh spring rolls, and plenty of drinks to keep the night going. Jongdae is joined by several other bartenders tonight. Chanyeol works with the prep team to make the appetizers go as smoothly as possible. 

Kyungsoo walks back toward the pastry chef, and she smiles back. Kyungsoo watches as her little workers delicately make chocolate figurines and cupcake frosting patterns. “How’s the cake coming?”

“Perfect so far,” the pastry chef says pointing to the oven. “The sheet pan layers are cooling.”

Kyungsoo sees the white and chocolate frostings set alongside the counter tops. “And it will be ready for 11:00 tonight?”

She smirks, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

Kyungsoo gives her a nod and thanks her for the beautiful work. Onto the next, Kyungsoo goes past Chanyeol. The other is helping with prep and dividing the sections of waiters. Yixing, Sehun, and Jongin are playing their part and dressing in tight tuxedos along with the bartenders. Jongdae insisted on a wardrobe that he could get a date in, because he needed to kiss someone at midnight. He says that New Years is incomplete without a kiss.

Kyungsoo scrubs his hands and delves into the work head first, even when Chanyeol told him not too. 

“You don’t see Junmyeon helping,” Chanyeol retorts.

“That’s because he’s talking to the tall bouncer,” Kyungsoo dishes, and Chanyeol eats the gossip up. Kyungsoo shrugs, “I figured he might be into tall silent types.”

Chanyeol grins, and it’s fucking stupid. Kyungsoo wishes it would fall off. He says softly, “That’s really nice of you.”

“I’ll be nice now, but come the party, I think I’ll flip,” Kyungsoo rolls the scallop carefully. “And I hate being cold. Who said we should have a roof top party?”

Chanyeol chuckles, “That would be Jongdae.”

“Heard my name!” Jongdae pops his head into the kitchen. He gives the kitchen a twirl, all suited up and hair styled. He gets a couple of whistles and applause, and bows. Chanyeol throws asparagus at his face. 

Jongdae bumps into Kyungsoo and nudges him, “Told you these outfits would be a good idea. So good that I –”

Kyungsoo grumbles, “I swear to God, if you got me—”

“—got chef ones!”

And seemingly out of nowhere, Jongdae pulls two uniforms out. They’re black with white trim coats, but they look really narrow. 

Chanyeol laughs out loud, “Did you get that in the kids section?”

Jongdae throws a look, “I know your sizes. These are going to be perfect.”

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol wash their hands from touching raw meats and inspect the uniforms. They strip from their aprons and leave their undershirts on to slip the coat on. Kyungsoo thinks it’s a little hard to put on, but after a moment of readjusting, it falls nicely on his body. It narrows his waist more and leaves no room for imagination. Chanyeol also has a perfect fitting coat, surprisingly. Jongdae is squealing.

“They are perfect! I’m glad Junmyeon-hyung said we had room in the budget for them,” Jongdae inspects all aspects of the dress and he’s awestruck. Kyungsoo waves him off and tries to find his clipboard with the last minute checklist.

“When’s Baekhyun coming?” Jongdae asks with his hands grazing the sizzling appetizers that come out of the oven. 

“Later. Said that the traffic is awful, and he’s coming from Connecticut,” Kyungsoo finally find his clipboard and goes around to check on the last minute things before the New Years party commences. It’s based on a ticket system that was bought ahead of time. They expect around 110 patrons for the party, excluding the staff. The night will start at 9 pm and continue until 1 am. Kyungsoo hasn’t planned a New Years event this large in a while, and it’s been exhausting. Kyungsoo just hopes that Jongdae will mix him something with a kick in it to take the edge off.

And just like that, the party kicks off. Kyungsoo feels as if he’s running like a chicken with its head cut off. He’s making sure the hors d'oeuvres are ready to go from oven to tray. The patrons are eating and enjoying, but Kyungsoo can’t when there’s a million things to do. He runs up the stairs to the upper roof and the chill runs through his bones. There’s a couple crowds on the rooftops with coats around their arms and drinks in hand. But the crowd outside is roaring and it’s too loud for Kyungsoo.

Everything else seems to be in check. The bartenders are steadily at work with no break. Jongdae’s got his tongue sticking out as he balances a stack of glasses while the other bartender sets up the trick. There’s a line of shot glasses dangling on beer mugs, and Jongdae pours liquor inside the tower of glasses he’s got on his shoulder. Jongdae, with his arms stretched out wide, delicately pours the glasses drink into each shot, and like dominoes, they fall in. There’s a roar at the bar, “Jager bombs!”

Kyungsoo feels dizzy and that he needs to sit. He leans against the wall and breathes. He closes his eyes for what feels like a couple of seconds. When he wakes, he’s got Chanyeol standing over him, and he’s in Junmyeon’s office. Chanyeol is making a wafting motion, and Kyungsoo chokes on the strong scent.

“Oh, thank God you’re back,” Chanyeol says with relief in his chest. He looks at the cologne bottle in his hands. “I knew this dirty ass cologne Junmyeon-hyung wears would do the trick.”

“What happened?” Kyungsoo goes to sit up, but Chanyeol ushers him to sit still.

“You passed out for a second. Well, like thirty, but still,” Chanyeol shrugs, but then slaps a hand on Kyungsoo’s knee. “We took you over to Junmyeon’s office so you can kind of chill. You’re actually pretty heavy for being that tiny.”

When Kyungsoo glares and Chanyeol, he knows to shut up. Kyungsoo blinks and recognizes the room. It’s nice and quiet, save for the DJ outside and the crowd. Kyungsoo still attempts to get up, but Chanyeol pushes him back down.

“You’re going to stay put until things calm down out here. I’m saying this as a friend,” Chanyeol wags his finger at Kyungsoo. “But I have to get back. I’ll check on you in 15.”

Chanyeol turns to leave, but he pauses, and then points to the desk. “There’s snacks and water.”

Kyungsoo is left in a peaceful silence in the office, and escape form the crazy world outside. He doesn’t find it too surprising that he passed out – he didn’t have anything to eat or drink all day. He crawls his way over to the desk to see the spread. He immediately goes for the water, downing the bottle in seconds. The other snacks are some tucked away hors d'oeuvres, and they look amazing. 

Kyungsoo bites into the bacon covered scallop and hums at the buttery light flavor. He’s proud of his work and what he’s accomplished, but he’s definitely not going to organize a party like this again by himself. He needs to hire someone else to do that next year.

There’s a quiet knock on the door, and Chanyeol’s head pops in. He has crazy 2017 glasses on with sparkles and neon colors, and he grins, “How are you feeling?”

Kyungsoo nods, “I needed some food and a break, but I think I’m good.”

“Cool, because there’s someone requesting you. Come on,” Chanyeol drags Kyungsoo out of the chair and into the waiting area. Chanyeol locks the door and then pouts, “He was right here.”

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol walk amongst the crowds who now all have party favors. It turns into a sea of faces, and Kyungsoo gets easily lost in them. Soon, Chanyeol isn’t beside him anymore, and Kyungsoo feels like he’s spinning in circles. Kyungsoo squints to see if there was someone looking for him, but the faces are unrecognizable.

Suddenly, he feels a tap on his shoulder. He turns quickly on his heel and is faced with the most recognizable one. 

“Hi there,” Baekhyun grins and sheepishly brings out a bag full of party favors. He’s dressed in all black attire and it’s tight. Baekhyun always liked to experiment with fashion and makeup, he’s just that kind of guy, and he looks damn good with black styled hair and lined eyes. “Happy New Year!”

Kyungsoo lets out a happy laugh and accepts a hug from the other. When they pull away, Kyungsoo peers into the bag. Baekhyun takes out beads with a neon tag that says 2K17 in bright letters and places it over Kyungsoo’s head and it hangs loosely around Kyungsoo’s neck. Baekhyun takes out a headband with Happy New Years on it, and they each break out a foil horn and honk it obnoxiously. They’re in hysterics with each other and then end up in a hug again.

“You said you were stuck in traffic in Connecticut,” Kyungsoo says with an astonished expression. Baekhyun’s got a twinkle in his eyes.

“I mean, it’s not entirely a lie. I was stuck this morning,” He smirks, and Kyungsoo punches him in the arm. “I had to get all the party favors! I was a little late, but everyone loves them.”

Kyungsoo looks to his watch and sees that it’s past 11:30 pm already. His stomach turns, but he pulls Baekhyun toward the kitchen, “You have to get some cake!”

“Ooh, I love cake!” Baekhyun chimes happily and looks ecstatic when a slice is presented in front of him. “Black and white?”

“With goldschlager for sparkle – the perfect New Years cake,” Kyungsoo says and then takes a bite into the two-layered cake. The buttercream frosting is light and melts into his mouth. The cinnamon of the liquor is subtle enough to not ruin the richness of the vanilla and the sugar of the chocolate. It’s perfection for the night.

Baekhyun agrees by eating his slice with little moans in every bite. He’s practically swallowed the cake whole, and he’s impressed. “Let’s go see the roof?”

Kyungsoo gets chills just thinking about going out in the cold, so he grabs his coat from the kitchen. Kyungsoo leads the way up the stairs, and the party is live on top. Most of the staff are on break now and get to enjoy the evening. Kyungsoo can see Jongdae and Chanyeol chatting up people and drinks are plentiful. 

The night is filled with cheers and live performances. There’s so many flashes of light from cameras and phones. There’s a colorful wave of people in the crowds. This roof top party, decorated by one of Baekhyun’s clients, is spectacular. They have an upper hand on the crowd below, and they get to enjoy the beautiful city.

“This is amazing,” Baekhyun looks around the skyscrapers with wonderment. “You did a wonderful job.”

Kyungsoo shrugs, “I couldn’t have done it if you weren’t so persistent on remodeling the roof top.”

“It brought a lot of people in though. I heard you were sold out,” Baekhyun grins and adjusts Kyungsoo collar on his skin tight coat. Baekhyun flashes a naughty grin, “Nice outfit, by the way.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, but it’s half-hearted, “Jongdae’s idea.”

Baekhyun’s laughter is bright and bounces against the buildings. “I’ll have to thank him later. But, right now.”

Baekhyun clutches hard on Kyungsoo’s coat and closes in. He presses a deep kiss to Kyungsoo’s lips and it lingers. It’s safe and warm, much like Baekhyun’s open arms. Kyungsoo really has come to like Baekhyun’s company despite their quarrels in their first meetings. Kyungsoo has really opened up to Baekhyun in the past couple of months that they’ve been together, and it’s because Baekhyun is there and willing to listen. He’s like a sponge, he’ll absorb even the slightest hints that Kyungsoo throws him. 

When they separate, Kyungsoo chuckles, “My mom is going to hate this.”

Baekhyun grins like a wolf, and whispers sensually in Kyungsoo’s ear, “Then she’s really going to hate where I’m going to put my mouth tonight.”

When they pull away, they can hear a rush of a countdown. There’s 60 seconds left in the old year, and soon the confetti will fly and roars will be heard. Kyungsoo’s heart swells when Baekhyun just stares at him, like there’s nothing else in the world. God damn, he’s lucky.

“So, what was your favorite part of 2016?” Kyungsoo says as Baekhyun begins to sway them.

“You,” Baekhyun says with a small smile. 

Kyungsoo scoffs, “Come on, don’t be gross. What did you really like?”

Baekhyun pauses, but then starts laughing within the sway, “Chocolate cake and chai.”

“You’re damn straight it is,” Kyungsoo grins along with Baekhyun, easing into the sway. There’s 15 seconds left. Kyungsoo’s heart is hammering. “But yeah, you’re okay too.”

_5..4..3..2..1!_

And just like that, Kyungsoo’s pulled in for another kiss and it’s lengthy this time. But that’s okay. He would love to stay with Baekhyun tonight.

-

**Extra:**

Jongdae leans against the railing and watches the explosion of confetti and all the gross people making out. Literally, out of maybe 70 people that he flirted with tonight, all of them are already sucking face. Jongdae flicks a piece of confetti off the railing and sighs. Just another single night for Jongdae, woo!

“Hey, Happy New year!” Jongdae hears from close behind. Before he can react, he’s spun around and there’s lips on his, and _who the fuck is kissing him, what in God’s name???_

Jongdae pulls away from the nice soft lips and does a double take. He shoves Chanyeol away, “I thought you were straight?!?”

Chanyeol blinks, and it looks sincere, but then he shrugs, “You needed a kiss. So, I helped a bro out.”

Jongdae sucks in a breath, ready to retaliate with a major explosion. Instead, he keeps it inside, points to him and simply says, “No.”

He’s walking away because he doesn’t need to deal with crushes on straight boys. He’s already had a hard time getting over Chanyeol the first time he met him. He doesn’t need to deal with stupid Chanyeol and straight boys that want to fool around.

“No homo?” Chanyeol calls out, and that’s it. That breaks Jongdae’s patience. 

“Chanyeol, I am bi! I AM NO HOMO AND ALL THE HOMO.”

And Jongdae storms off into the night. Chanyeol looks awfully shocked, and Kyungsoo nudges him.

“So, remember that time you and I went to Jongdae’s old bar and offered him a job? He gave you all the beer nuts, and he asked you: _so, uh, you a fan of nuts?_ , and you just shoved your face with them and exclaimed: _OH YEAH - IM NUTS FOR NUTS_.”

Chanyeol nods, but it still doesn’t register. Kyungsoo sighs helplessly.

“Or that time where you dared Jongdae to fit an entire popsicle in his mouth, and he did, and you said: _WOW YOU HAVE A REALLY BIG MOUTH. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU FIT IN THERE???_ And Jongdae winked and said: _anything you want ;)_.”

Chanyeol nods slowly again, still not picking up. Baekhyun is fucking dying in the background listening to this. Kyungsoo sighs, for maybe the thousandth time. Maybe his last breath will be a sigh.

“He was hitting on you, you big doofus. You’ve literally led him along -unintentionally- since you’ve met,” Kyungsoo finally rolls his eyes when Chanyeol pops his mouth into an o of realization. “And now, you’ve kissed him. Now he’s confused. Good work Park.”

Chanyeol pouts, “I was just trying to be nice. I didn’t have a planned kiss either.”

Kyungsoo feels like a parent amongst stupid adults. He pats Chanyeol’s shoulder, “He should come around. Just don’t go kissing boys if you don’t like boys, stupid.”

“Okay.”


End file.
